Assessment of lenvatinib treatment for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma with liver cirrhosis.

BACKGROUND: The present study aimed to assess the clinical features of patients who received lenvatinib treatment for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: The clinical characteristics, adverse events, and radiological responses were evaluated for 51 consecutive patients. RESULTS: Of the study subjects, 37 patients had Child-Pugh class A (CPA) liver function, and 14 patients had Child-Pugh class B (CPB) liver function. The overall response rates in the CPA and CPB groups were 42.9% and 25.0%, respectively, and disease control rates were 82.9% and 83.3%, respectively, without significant difference (p = 0.2621 and 0.9697). There was no significant difference between CPA and CPB groups regarding the incidence of adverse events, except for hepatic coma. No significant difference was observed in the relative dose intensity between the CPA and CPB groups, for the first month, 1-2 months, or 2-3 months (p = 0.2368, 0.9368, and 0.9293). CONCLUSION: The comparable outcomes between the CPA and CPB groups suggest the acceptability of lenvatinib treatment in patients with impaired liver function, at least in the acute phase. With careful follow-up, the dose can be relatively intensified, even in patients with impaired liver function and this may contribute to offering comparable treatment.

Assessment of ISGLS definition of posthepatectomy liver failure and its effect on outcome in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Posthepatectomy liver failure (PHLF) is a major complication after hepatectomy. As there was no standardized definition, the International Study Group of Liver Surgery (ISGLS) defined PHLF as increased international normalized ratio and hyperbilirubinemia on or after postoperative day 5 in 2010. We evaluated the impact of the ISGLS definition of PHLF on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 210 consecutive HCC patients who underwent curative hepatectomy at our facility from 2005 to 2010. The median follow-up period after hepatectomy was 35.2 months. RESULTS: Thirty-nine (18.6%) patients fulfilled the ISGLS definition of PHLF. Overall survival (OS) rates at 1, 3, and 5 years in patients with/without PHLF were 69.1/93.5, 45.1/72.5, and 45.1/57.8%, respectively (P = 0.002). Recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates at 1, 3, and 5 years in patients with/without PHLF were 40.9/65.9, 15.7/38.3, and 15.7/20.3%, respectively (P = 0.003). Multivariate analysis revealed that PHLF was significantly associated with both OS (P = 0.047) and RFS (P = 0.019). Extent of resection (P < 0.001), intraoperative blood loss (P = 0.002), and fibrosis stage (P = 0.040) were identified as independent risk factors for developing PHLF. CONCLUSION: The ISGLS definition of PHLF was associated with OS and RFS in HCC patients, and long-term survival will be improved by reducing the incidence of PHLF.