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Small Molecule Inhibitors for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Advances and Challenges. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27175537. [PMID: 36080304 PMCID: PMC9457820 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27175537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 08/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
According to data provided by World Health Organization, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth most common cause of deaths due to cancer worldwide. Tremendous progress has been achieved over the last 10 years developing novel agents for HCC treatment, including small-molecule kinase inhibitors. Several small molecule inhibitors currently form the core of HCC treatment due to their versatility since they would be more easily absorbed and have higher oral bioavailability, thus easier to formulate and administer to patients. In addition, they can be altered structurally to have greater volumes of distribution, allowing them to block extravascular molecular targets and to accumulate in a high concentration in the tumor microenvironment. Moreover, they can be designed to have shortened half-lives to control for immune-related adverse events. Most importantly, they would spare patients, healthcare institutions, and society as a whole from the burden of high drug costs. The present review provides an overview of the pharmaceutical compounds that are licensed for HCC treatment and other emerging compounds that are still investigated in preclinical and clinical trials. These molecules are targeting different molecular targets and pathways that are proven to be involved in the pathogenesis of the disease.
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Rajappa S, Rau KM, Dattatreya PS, Ramaswamy A, Fernandes P, Pruthi A, Cheng R, Lukanowski M, Huang YH. Second-line treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: Time for more individualized treatment options? World J Hepatol 2022; 14:1074-1086. [PMID: 35978665 PMCID: PMC9258252 DOI: 10.4254/wjh.v14.i6.1074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most frequently diagnosed primary tumor of the liver and is usually detected as advanced disease. It is an aggressive disease that often progresses rapidly when it fails to respond to treatment. As such, patients have limited opportunities to try different subsequent-line treatment regimens. In the last 5 years, the number of agents and/or regimens available for the treatment of advanced HCC has significantly increased, which has made treatment choices for this patient population increasingly complex. In the second-line setting, several phase III trials of regorafenib (RESORCE), ramucirumab (REACH/REACH-2), and cabozantinib (CELESTIAL) have demonstrated clinically meaningful survival benefits in patients with the disease. However, the median overall survival of patients with advanced HCC remains unchanged at approximately 12 mo from the start of systemic second-line therapy, with a limited duration of response. Evidence from the REACH/REACH-2 trials demonstrated for the first time that baseline alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels can be used as an identification factor to select those who are likely to benefit the most from ramucirumab treatment. Ramucirumab is both well tolerated and efficacious and has a clinically acceptable safety profile. Therefore, it should be considered an option for patients with AFP levels ≥ 400 ng/mL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Senthil Rajappa
- Department of Medical Oncology, Basavatarakam Indo-American Cancer Hospital and Research Institute, Hyderabad 500034, Telangana, India
| | - Kun-Ming Rau
- College of Medicine, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 822, Taiwan
| | | | - Anant Ramaswamy
- Department of Oncology, Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai 400012, India
| | - Philana Fernandes
- Global Scientific Communications, Eli Lilly and Company Ltd, Cork 48006, Cork, Ireland
| | | | - Rebecca Cheng
- Medical Affairs, Eli Lilly Taiwan, Taipei 10543, Taiwan
| | | | - Yi-Hsiang Huang
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Yang-Ming Yang Ming Chiao Tung University School of Medicine, Taipei 112, Taiwan
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Meyers BM, Knox JJ, Cosby R, Beecroft JR, Chan KKW, Coburn N, Feld JJ, Jonker D, Mahmud A, Ringash J. Non-surgical management of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: A systematic review by Cancer Care Ontario. CANADIAN LIVER JOURNAL 2021; 4:257-274. [PMID: 35992253 PMCID: PMC9202767 DOI: 10.3138/canlivj-2020-0039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 01/23/2021] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a global health problem, accounting for 4.7% of all new cancer cases and 8.2% of all cancer deaths worldwide in 2018. Resection and transplantation are the only modalities that offer a cure for HCC; however, most patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage, precluding these curative treatments. A number of local (ie, ablative therapies) and/or local-regional therapies (ie, chemo-embolization) are used and followed by systemic therapy for advanced or progressive disease. Other treatments are available, but their efficacy compared with these standards is not well known. Methods Literature searches (1/2000 to 1/2020 or 1/2005 to 1/2020, depending on the specific systematic review question) were conducted, including MEDLINE, Embase and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Results Over 30,000 articles were identified. In total, 49 studies were included in the systematic review. Conclusions There is no evidence to support the addition of sorafenib to any local or regional therapy. First-line systemic therapy options for unresectable or metastatic HCC include sorafenib, lenvatinib, and atezolizumab + bevacizumab. Regorafenib or cabozantinib provide survival benefits when given as second-line treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon M Meyers
- Juravinski Cancer Centre, Department of Oncology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Roxanne Cosby
- Program in Evidence-Based Care, Department of Oncology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - JR Beecroft
- Mount Sinai Hospital, Department of Medical Imaging, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kelvin KW Chan
- Sunnybrook Odette Cancer Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Natalie Coburn
- Sunnybrook Odette Cancer Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jordan J Feld
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Derek Jonker
- Ottawa Hospital Cancer Centre, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Aamer Mahmud
- Cancer Centre of Southeastern Ontario, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jolie Ringash
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Ryoo BY, Merle P, Kulkarni AS, Cheng AL, Bouattour M, Lim HY, Breder V, Edeline J, Chao Y, Ogasawara S, Yau T, Garrido M, Chan SL, Daniele B, Norquist JM, Chen E, Siegel AB, Zhu AX, Finn RS, Kudo M. Health-related quality-of-life impact of pembrolizumab versus best supportive care in previously systemically treated patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: KEYNOTE-240. Cancer 2020; 127:865-874. [PMID: 33231873 DOI: 10.1002/cncr.33317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Revised: 10/19/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is an important outcome measure and prognostic indicator in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). KEYNOTE-240 (NCT02702401) assessed the efficacy and safety of pembrolizumab plus best supportive care (BSC) versus placebo plus BSC in patients with HCC who previously received sorafenib. This study presents the results of a prespecified exploratory analysis of patient-reported outcomes. METHODS Patients completed the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Core Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) and its HCC supplement (EORTC QLQ-HCC18) electronically at baseline; at weeks 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 12, and 18; and then every 9 weeks until 1 year or end of treatment, and at the 30-day safety follow-up visit. RESULTS The HRQoL population included 271 and 127 patients randomly assigned to pembrolizumab and placebo, respectively. From baseline to week 12, changes in both scores were similar between pembrolizumab and placebo; global health status/QoL scores were stable. The proportions of patients who improved, remained stable, or deteriorated across all functional domain and symptom scores were generally similar between pembrolizumab and placebo. Time to deterioration was similar between the 2 arms based on the prespecified analysis of EORTC QLQ-HCC18 domains of abdominal swelling, fatigue, and pain. CONCLUSION Pembrolizumab preserved HRQoL during treatment for advanced HCC. Combined with efficacy and safety results from KEYNOTE-240, these findings support a positive benefit/risk profile for pembrolizumab in a second-line treatment setting for patients with HCC who previously received sorafenib.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baek-Yeol Ryoo
- Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Philippe Merle
- Croix-Rousse Hospital, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | | | - Ann-Lii Cheng
- National Taiwan University Cancer Center, Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Mohamed Bouattour
- Beaujon Hospital, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Clichy, France
| | - Ho Yeong Lim
- Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Valeriy Breder
- N. N. Blokhin National Medical Research Center of Oncology, Moscow, Russia
| | | | - Yee Chao
- Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Sadahisa Ogasawara
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Thomas Yau
- The University at Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
| | | | - Stephen L Chan
- State Key Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Department of Clinical Oncology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Sha Tin, Hong Kong
| | | | | | - Erluo Chen
- Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey
| | | | - Andrew X Zhu
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Jiahui International Cancer Center, Jiahui Health, Shanghai, China
| | - Richard S Finn
- David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
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Sieg M, Hartmann M, Settmacher U, Arefian H. Comparative cost-effectiveness of cabozantinib as second-line therapy for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma in Germany and the United States. BMC Gastroenterol 2020; 20:120. [PMID: 32316925 PMCID: PMC7171756 DOI: 10.1186/s12876-020-01241-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cabozantinib was approved by the European Medicines Agency and the Federal Drug Administration as an option for sorafenib-resistant advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, increasing overall survival and progression-free survival compared with placebo. We evaluated the cost-effectiveness of cabozantinib in the second-line setting for patients with an advanced hepatocellular carcinoma from the German statutory health insurance perspective compared with an US scenario using US prices. METHODS A Markov model was developed to compare the costs and effectiveness of cabozantinib with best supportive care in the second-line treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma over a lifetime horizon. Health outcomes were measured in discounted life years and discounted quality-adjusted life years. Survival probabilities were estimated using parametric survival distributions based on CELESTIAL trial data. Utilities were derived from the literature. Costs contained drugs, monitoring and adverse events measured in US Dollars. Model robustness was addressed in univariable, scenario and probabilistic sensitivity analyses. RESULTS Cabozantinib generated a gain of 0.18 life years (0.15 quality-adjusted life years) compared with best supportive care. The total mean cost per patient was $56,621 for cabozantinib and $2064 for best supportive care in the German model resulting in incremental cost-effectiveness ratios for cabozantinib of $306,778/life year and $375,470/quality-adjusted life year. Using US prices generated costs of $177,496 for cabozantinib and $4630 for best supportive care and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios of $972,049/life year and $1,189,706/quality-adjusted life year. CONCLUSIONS Our analysis established that assuming a willingness-to-pay threshold of $163,371/life year (quality-adjusted life year) for the German model and $188,559/life year (quality-adjusted life year) for the US model, cabozantinib is not cost-effective compared with best supportive care. Sensitivity analyses showed that cabozantinib was not cost-effective in almost all our scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian Sieg
- Faculty of Medicine, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Michael Hartmann
- Center for Sepsis Control and Care (CSCC), Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
- Hospital Pharmacy, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Utz Settmacher
- Department of General, Visceral and Vascular Surgery, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Habibollah Arefian
- Center for Sepsis Control and Care (CSCC), Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany.
- Hospital Pharmacy, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany.
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Zhou K, Fountzilas C. Outcomes and Quality of Life of Systemic Therapy in Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:E861. [PMID: 31234316 PMCID: PMC6627968 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11060861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2019] [Revised: 06/18/2019] [Accepted: 06/19/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers worldwide; most patients are diagnosed with advanced disease for which there is no known cure. Tremendous progress has been made over the past decade in the development of new agents for HCC, including small-molecule kinase inhibitors such as sorafenib, lenvatinib, cabozantinib, regorafenib, and monoclonal antibodies like ramucirumab, nivolumab, and pembrolizumab. Ideal use of these agents in clinics has improved the long-term outcome of patients with advanced HCC as well as introduced unique toxicities that can affect quality of life. These toxicities usually are thought to be partially related to cirrhosis, a major risk factor for the development of HCC and a pathophysiological barrier complicating the optimal delivery of antineoplastic therapy. Additionally, side effects of medications together with advanced HCC symptoms not only decrease quality of life, but also cause treatment interruptions and dose reductions that can potentially decrease efficacy. Physicians caring for patients with advanced HCC are called to optimally manage HCC along with cirrhosis in order to prolong life while at the same time preserve the quality of life. In this review, we aimed to summarize outcomes and quality of life with the use of modern systemic treatments in advanced HCC and provide a physician reference for treatment toxicity and cirrhosis management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kehua Zhou
- Catholic Health System Internal Medicine Training Program, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14214, USA.
| | - Christos Fountzilas
- Division of Gastrointestinal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA.
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von Felden J, Schulze K, Gil-Ibanez I, Werner T, Wege H. First- and Second-Line Targeted Systemic Therapy in Hepatocellular Carcinoma-An Update on Patient Selection and Response Evaluation. Diagnostics (Basel) 2016; 6:E44. [PMID: 27916795 PMCID: PMC5192519 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics6040044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2016] [Revised: 11/22/2016] [Accepted: 11/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with vascular invasion and/or extrahepatic spread and preserved liver function, according to stage C of the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) classification, has a dismal prognosis. The multi-targeted tyrosine-kinase receptor inhibitor (TKI) sorafenib is the only proven active substance in systemic HCC therapy for first-line treatment. In this review, we summarize current aspects in patient selection and management of side effects, and provide an update on response evaluation during first-line sorafenib therapy. Since second-line treatment options have been improved with the successful completion of the RESORCE trial, demonstrating a survival benefit for second-line treatment with the TKI regorafenib, response monitoring during first-line therapy will be critical to deliver optimal systemic therapy in HCC. To this regard, specific side effects, in particular worsening of arterial hypertension and diarrhea, might suggest treatment response during first-line sorafenib therapy; however, clear predictive clinical markers, as well as laboratory test or serum markers, are not established. Assessment of radiologic response according to the modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (mRECIST) is helpful to identify patients who do not benefit from sorafenib treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johann von Felden
- I. Department of Internal Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Kornelius Schulze
- I. Department of Internal Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Ines Gil-Ibanez
- I. Department of Internal Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Tobias Werner
- I. Department of Internal Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Henning Wege
- I. Department of Internal Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany.
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