A prospective observational cohort study of lenvatinib as initial treatment in patients with BCLC-defined stage B hepatocellular carcinoma
Menée auprès de 31 patients atteints d'un carcinome hépatocellulaire de stade B (selon la classification "Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer"), cette étude de cohorte prospective observationnelle évalue l'efficacité, du point de vue de la survie globale, et la toxicité du lenvatinib en traitement de première ligne
Background : Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is the standard treatment for intermediate stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer [BCLC] B). However, it often leads to a poor prognosis and decreased hepatic function especially in patients with BCLC substage B2. Lenvatinib (LEN) was demonstrated to be efficacious in these patients in the REFLECT phase 3 trial. We therefore aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of LEN as a first-line treatment for the patients with HCC at BCLC substage B2. Methods : This prospective observational study used LEN in TACE-naïve patients with HCC at BCLC substage B2 and preserved hepatic function. The primary endpoint was overall survival. A one-year survival rate threshold of 60% and an expected survival rate of 78%, based on previous reports of TACE, was assumed for setting the sample size. With a one-sided
α-type error of 5% and 70% detection power, 25 patients were required over a 2-year enrollment period and 10-month follow-up period. Results
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Thirty-one patients were enrolled in this study from June 2018 to June 2020. The 1-year survival rate was 71.0% (90% confidence interval, 68.4
–73.6%). Median overall and progression-free survival periods were 17.0 and 10.4 months, and the objective response rates according to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumor (RECIST) version 1.1 and modified RECIST criteria were 22.6% and 70.0%, respectively. Common adverse events (AEs) were fatigue (68%), hypertension (65%), anorexia (61%), palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia (39%), and thrombocytopenia (32%) of any grade; aspartate aminotransferase increased (23%), alanine aminotransferase increased (16%), and grade ≥ 3 proteinuria (13%). Treatment interruption and dose reduction were required in 61% and 81% of patients, respectively. LEN was discontinued in 29 patients due to disease progression (n = 17), AEs (n = 9), conversion to curative treatments (n = 2), and sudden death (n = 1), whereas post-LEN treatments were administered in 18 patients, including systemic chemotherapy (n = 11), TACE (n = 6), transarterial infusion (n = 1) and clinical trial (n = 1). Conclusions : The results suggest that LEN provides treatment benefits as an initial therapeutic in patients with BCLC substage B2 HCC with a safety profile comparable to that previously reported.
BMC Cancer 2022