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An internally validated new clinical and inflammation-based prognostic score for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma treated with sorafenib

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Abstract

Background

Sorafenib is a standard treatment for patients (pts) with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (aHCC), although the clinical benefit is heterogeneous between different pts groups. Among novel prognostic factors, a low baseline neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (bNLR) and early-onset diarrhoea have been linked with a better prognosis.

Purpose

To identify prognostic factors in pts with aHCC treated with 1st-line sorafenib and to develop a new prognostic score to guide management.

Materials and methods

Retrospective review of 145 pts bNLR, overall toxicity, early toxicity rates and overall survival (OS) were assessed. Univariate and multivariate analysis of prognostic factors for OS was performed. The prognostic score was calculated from the coefficients found in the Cox analysis. ROC curves and pseudoR2 index were used for internal validation. Discrimination ability and calibration were tested by Harrel’s c-index (HCI) and Akaike criteria (AIC).

Results

The optimal bNLR cut-off for the prediction of OS was 4 (AUC 0.62). Independent prognostic factors in multivariate analysis for OS were performance status (PS) (p < .0001), Child–Pugh (C–P) score (p = 0.005), early-onset diarrhoea (p = 0.006) and BNLR (0.011). The prognostic score based on these four variables was found efficient (HCI = 0.659; AIC = 1.180). Four risk groups for OS could be identified: a very low-risk (median OS = 48.6 months), a low-risk (median OS = 11.6 months), an intermediate-risk (median OS = 8.3 months) and a high-risk group (median OS = 4.4 months).

Conclusions

PS and C–P score were the main prognostic factors for OS, followed by early-onset diarrhoea and bNLR. We identified four risk groups for OS depending on these parameters. This prognostic model could be useful for patient stratification, but an external validation is needed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Medical Oncology Department, University Hospital La Fe, Avenida Fernando Abril Martorell 106, 46026, Valencia, Spain

    R. Diaz-Beveridge, G. Bruixola, D. Lorente, J. Caballero, E. Rodrigo, Á. Segura, D. Akhoundova, A. Giménez & J. Aparicio

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  1. R. Diaz-Beveridge
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  2. G. Bruixola
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  3. D. Lorente
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  4. J. Caballero
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  5. E. Rodrigo
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  6. Á. Segura
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  7. D. Akhoundova
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Correspondence to R. Diaz-Beveridge.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. For this type of study formal consent is not required.

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Diaz-Beveridge, R., Bruixola, G., Lorente, D. et al. An internally validated new clinical and inflammation-based prognostic score for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma treated with sorafenib. Clin Transl Oncol 20, 322–329 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12094-017-1720-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12094-017-1720-4

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