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Hepatocellular carcinoma in 2017

Two large steps forward, one small step back

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From Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology

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In 2017, the FDA approved regorafenib and nivolumab for the treatment of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma following prior sorafenib treatment, opening the door for an effective systemic second-line therapy in advanced disease. By contrast, the addition of sorafenib to transarterial chemoembolization with drug-eluting beads did not improve progression-free survival in the intermediate disease stage.

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Figure 1: Sequential treatment requires a timely switch from transarterial approaches to systemic treatment in patients with well-preserved liver function.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine I and the Cirrhosis Centre Mainz (CCM), University Medical Centre of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Langenbeckstrasse 1, Mainz, 55131, Germany

    Marcus-Alexander Wörns & Peter R. Galle

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  1. Marcus-Alexander Wörns
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  2. Peter R. Galle
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Correspondence to Peter R. Galle.

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Competing interests

M.-A.W. has received consulting and lecture fees from Bayer and Bristol-Myers Squibb. P.R.G. has received consulting and lecture fees from AstraZeneca, Bayer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Lilly, MSD/Merck, Roche, Sillajen, and Sirtex.

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Wörns, MA., Galle, P. Two large steps forward, one small step back. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 15, 74–76 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrgastro.2017.174

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