New pharmacological developments in the treatment of hepatocellular cancer

Drugs. 2009;69(18):2533-40. doi: 10.2165/11530870-000000000-00000.

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver neoplasm and fourth leading cause of cancer death worldwide. The survival for patients with advanced HCC is extremely poor. This is largely attributed to the lack of effective screening methods, advanced stage at presentation, limited utility of surgical intervention and ineffective medical therapy. Over the past 30 years, many conventional cytotoxic agents have been tested and have failed to confer a survival benefit. Recently, sorafenib, a multi-tyrosine kinase inhibitor, was approved by the US FDA as first-line therapy in HCC as the first agent demonstrating survival benefit in this disease. Although the survival benefit demonstrated by sorafenib is moderate, molecular targeted therapy has brought new hope in the management of HCC.

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols
  • Benzenesulfonates / therapeutic use*
  • Breast Neoplasms / therapy
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / drug therapy*
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / mortality
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / pathology
  • Chemoembolization, Therapeutic
  • Combined Modality Therapy
  • Drug Delivery Systems
  • Drug Design*
  • Drug Resistance, Neoplasm / genetics*
  • ErbB Receptors / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Humans
  • Liver Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Liver Neoplasms / mortality
  • Liver Neoplasms / pathology
  • Meta-Analysis as Topic
  • Niacinamide / analogs & derivatives
  • Patient Selection
  • Phenylurea Compounds
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / therapeutic use
  • Pyridines / therapeutic use*
  • Risk Assessment
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects*
  • Sorafenib
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / pharmacology

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Benzenesulfonates
  • Phenylurea Compounds
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors
  • Pyridines
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
  • Niacinamide
  • Sorafenib
  • ErbB Receptors