Background and Aims: During liver transplantation, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence remains a critical challenge for patient survival. Targeted therapies, such as sorafenib and regorafenib, have been utilized to manage relapsed HCC in this unique setting. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of Sorafenib and Regorafenib in patients with HCC who experienced recurrence after liver transplantation. We focused on survival outcomes, treatment responses, and the management of side effects in this patient group. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 73 patients who experienced HCC recurrence post-liver transplantation between 2012 and 2022 across 11 oncology centers in Turkey. Patients were categorized according to Child–Pugh classification and treated with sorafenib as first-line therapy and Regorafenib in case of progression. Survival rates were analyzed using the Kaplan–Meier method, and risk factors were evaluated using Cox regression analysis. Results: Of the 73 patients included in the study, 62 were male (84.9%), and 11 were female (15.1%), with a mean age of 61.5 ± 10.9 years. All patients received sorafenib as first-line treatment. Among patients who experienced progression with sorafenib or discontinued treatment due to toxicity, 45.2% (n = 33) continued treatment with regorafenib. The median progression-free survival (PFS1) time with sorafenib was 5.6 months, and the one-year survival rate was 24.3%. The median progression-free survival (PFS2) time with regorafenib, which was administered as second-line treatment, was also calculated as 5.9 months. Overall survival (OS) duration was determined as 35.9 months. The most common side effects associated with both drugs included fatigue, hand and foot syndrome, and hypertension. Significantly better survival outcomes were shown in the Child–Pugh A group compared to other patients. Conclusions: These results suggest that Sorafenib and Regorafenib treatments offer a survival advantage in patients with relapsed HCC post-transplantation. However, individualized treatment strategies and close follow-up are crucial for optimizing outcomes. Further studies are needed to refine therapeutic protocols and enhance the care of this specific patient group.
Although microtubule inhibitors are generally used in advanced stages, they provide the opportunity to prolong survival as an alternative when medical oncologists have difficulty finding options in their patients, who typically have a poor prognosis and most of whom are unresponsive to treatment. For this reason, we wanted to investigate the effect of ixabepilone treatment on survival in earlier metastatic lines. Our study also examined the frequency of side effects and survival differences in patients whose dose was reduced or whose treatment was discontinued. Our study includes patients diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer who received ixabepilone treatment between January 2011 and January 2021. Median overall survival (OS) in the group receiving ixabepilone on the 5th line and before was 22.0 months (95% CI: 21.0–22.9), in the group receiving ixabepilone after the 5th line was calculated as 10.0 months (95% CI: 8.9–11.0) (P < .001). Median OS (months) in the group receiving ixabepilone on the 4th line and before was 26.0 (95% CI: 23.6–28.3), in the group receiving ixabepilone after the 4th line was determined as 12.0 (95% CI: 10.5–13.4) (P < .001). Dose reduction or discontinuation of ixabepilone treatment in patients due to side effects did not affect OS and progression-free survival with ixabepilone statistically significantly. Ixabepilone treatment has side effects, similar to all other treatments used in metastatic breast cancer, however, these side effects are manageable. Additionally, since ixabepilone treatment is preferred in patients who have previously received many different chemotherapeutics and experienced cumulative toxicity, the side effects of ixabepilone may seem to be greater than they are. In our study, we showed that ixabepilone treatment has a statistically significant positive effect on survival if preferred in earlier metastatic lines. As similar studies increase in centers where ixabepilone treatment is generally given in advanced metastatic lines, treatment approaches may change in the coming years.
Background andAims: During liver transplantation, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence remains a critical challenge for patient survival. Targeted therapies, such as Sorafenib and Regorafenib, have been utilized to manage relapsed HCC in this unique setting. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of Sorafenib and Regorafenib in patients with HCC who experienced recurrence after liver transplantation. We focused on survival outcomes, treatment responses, and the management of side effects in this patient group. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 73 patients who experienced HCC recurrence post-liver transplantation between 2012 and 2022, across 11oncology centers in Turkey. Patients were categorised according to Child-Pugh classification and treated with Sorafenib as first-line therapy and Regorafenib in case of progression. Survival rates were analysed by Kaplan-Meier method and risk factors were evaluated by Cox regression analysis. Results: Of the 73 patients included in the study, 62 were male (84,9%) and 11 were female (15,1%) with a mean age of 61,5 ± 10,9 years. All patients received sorafenib as first-line treatment. Among patients who experienced progression with sorafenib or discontinued treatment due to toxicity, 45,2% (n=33) continued treatment with regorafenib. The median progression-free survival (PFS1) time with Sorafenib was 5,6 months and the one-year survival rate was 24,3%. The median progression-free survival (PFS2) time with Regorafenib, which was administered as second-line treatment, was also calculated as 5,9 months. Overall survival (OS) duration was determined as 35,9 months. The most common side effects associated with both drugs included fatigue, hand-foot syndrome and hypertension. Significantly better survival outcomes were shown in the Child-Pugh A group compared to other patients. Conclusion: These results suggest that Sorafenib and Regorafenib treatments offer a survival advantage in patients with relapsed HCC post-transplantation. However, individualized treatment strategies and close follow-up are crucial for optimizing outcomes. Further studies are needed to refine therapeutic protocols and enhance the care of this specific patient group.
22 June 2023 in Journal of Gastrointestinal Cancer