Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) and sorafenib have both been shown to prolong survival in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but previous trials assessing the combination of TACE and sorafenib have been unable to show clinical benefit compared with TACE alone. Now, Kudo et al. report results from a randomized, multicentre prospective trial of TACE plus sorafenib compared with TACE alone in patients with unresectable HCC. Patients were randomized either to treatment with TACE plus sorafenib before and after TACE (n = 80) or to a group that received TACE without addition of sorafenib (n = 76). Median progression-free survival was significantly longer (P = 0.006) in the combination group (25.2 months) than in the TACE without sorafenib group (13.5 months). Median time to untreatable progression (a TACE-specific endpoint) was also significantly longer (P = 0.02) in the combination group (26.7 months) than in the TACE without sorafenib group (20.6 months).
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Kudo, M. et al. Randomised, multicentre prospective trial of transarterial chemoembolisation (TACE) plus sorafenib as compared with TACE alone in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: TACTICS trial. Gut https://doi.org/10.1136/gutjnl-2019-318934 (2019)
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Hindson, J. Combined TACE and sorafenib for HCC treatment. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 17, 66 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41575-020-0265-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41575-020-0265-0