The Safety and Efficacy of Combination Therapy of Sorafenib and Radiotherapy for Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Retrospective Study

OBJECTIVE: Sorafenib is a standard therapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), whereas radiotherapy is effective for local control of extrahepatic spread (EHS) or macrovascular invasion (MVI). This study investigated the safety and efficacy of this combined therapy to treat advanced HCC. METHODS: This retrospective study reviewed 62 patients with advanced-stage HCC with EHS or MVI who received sorafenib therapy, excluding the patients with only lung metastases. RESULTS: Of the 62 patients, 15 were treated using the combined therapy of sorafenib and radiotherapy (group RS), and 47 were treated with sorafenib monotherapy (group S). In group RS, patients were treated using three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy with a total irradiation dose of 30-60 Gy (median, 50 Gy). Irradiation was targeted at the bone, lymph nodes, adrenal gland, and MVI in 6, 5, 1, and 4 patients, respectively. The overall incidence of adverse events was 93.3% in group RS and 91.5% in group S (p=N.S.). Incidences of thrombocytopenia, leukopenia, and skin reaction were significantly higher in group RS (73.3%, 40.0%, and 66.7%, respectively) than in group S (36.2%, 10.6%, and 27.7%, respectively, p=0.02, 0.02, and <0.01, respectively). The incidence of severe adverse events, however, was comparable in the 2 groups: 20% in group RS and 19.2% in group S. The median progression-free survival (PFS) of EHS or MVI, PFS of whole lesions, and overall survival were longer in group RS (13.5, 10.6, and 31.2 months, respectively) than in group S (3.3, 3.5, and 12.1 months, respectively) (p<0.01 for all). CONCLUSION: Sorafenib in combination with radiotherapy is a feasible and tolerable treatment option for advanced HCC.