Treatment outcomes of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma in real-life practice: Chemotherapy versus multikinase inhibitors

BACKGROUND: Multikinase inhibitors (MKIs) represent the main treatment options for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (aHCC). However, accessibility in developing countries is limited. A chemotherapy, Fluorouracil and Oxaliplatin (FOLFOX), offers a less expensive treatment. Therefore, this study sought to compare the clinical effectiveness of FOLFOX with Sorafenib as a first-line treatment for aHCC in real-life practice.

METHODS: A retrospective aHCC cohort from four Thai hospitals was investigated for patients who received FOLFOX or Sorafenib between 2013-2019. Multiple imputation by chained equations addressed missing covariate data in a treatment effect model using Weight-adjusted-censoring inverse-probability-weighted regression adjustment; overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were estimated.

RESULTS: A total of 504 patients were included, (Sorafenib [n = 382] and FOLFOX [n = 122]). The treatment effect model estimated a median OS for Sorafenib and FOLFOX of 11.38 and 8.22 months, representing a significantly shorter OS (95% confidence interval) of -3.16 (-6.21, -0.11) months for FOLFOX, p = 0.042. A significant shorter median PFS of FOLFOX to Sorafenib of -2.13 (-3.03, -1.24) months, p < 0.001, was reported.

CONCLUSION: Despite significantly shorter median OS and PFS than Sorafenib, FOLFOX still extended OS by 8.22 months. This evidence may offer clinical utility to physicians considering treatment options for aHCC in low resource settings.