Abstract
Background
Recent data suggest a potential activity and a good tolerability of capecitabine in
advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
Aims
To evaluate capecitabine activity and safety in a wide cohort of advanced HCC patients.
Methods
Retrospective analysis of 143 capecitabine-treated patients (January 2010 to December
2017) in three centers of the Veneto Oncology Network.
Results
Capecitabine was administered in second and third line, but also in first line instead
of sorafenib in Child-Pugh B patients (70%), compromised clinical conditions (14%)
or contraindications to antiangiogenetics (16%). Median overall survival (OS) and
time to progression (TTP) were 6.9 and 2.8 months, respectively. There were no differences
in OS and TTP between the 32 patients treated with non-metronomic scheme (2000 mg/day
for 14 days) and the 111 patients treated with metronomic scheme (1000 mg/day) after
correction for prognostic factors at baseline with a propensity score analysis. Capecitabine
was more active in patients intolerant to sorafenib than in those progressing during
treatment (p = 0.024). At least one adverse event (mainly hematological) was experienced by 73%
of patients but discontinuation was necessary only in 11 (8%).
Conclusions
Capecitabine can be considered an active and safe option in advanced HCC, especially
for patients unfit for other treatments.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: July 16, 2019
Accepted:
June 19,
2019
Received:
January 13,
2019
Footnotes
☆Supported by: University of Padova, Department of Surgical, Oncological and Gastroenterological sciences.
Identification
Copyright
© 2019 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of Editrice Gastroenterologica Italiana S.r.l.
