Despite the toxicity and low response rate, sorafenib had shown a significant survival benefit in phase III clinical trials, thus encouraging clinical research aimed at advancing the field of molecular therapy. Disrupted signaling pathways related to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) include the Wnt/β-catenin, Ras/Raf/MAPK, phosphatidyl inositol 3-kinase/Akt/mechanistic target of rapamycin, hepatocyte growth factor/c-mesenchymal-epithelial transition, IGF, vascular endothelial growth factor, and platelet-derived growth factor pathways, and a variety of agents targeting these pathways are currently under investigation. Additionally, better comprehension of the complex mechanisms underlying the ability of tumor cells to escape immune surveillance has led to impressive results with immunotherapy in many types of cancer, and this treatment strategy is currently being developed for HCC patients. Previous and ongoing targeted therapy and immunotherapy trials for HCC are discussed in this review.
Malignant OJ is a late event in cancer pts. Thorough evaluation is needed before determining eligibility to PTBD due to its high complication and hospitalization rates. In the current analysis, pts with PS >2 and who are not candidates for further CT had a dismal prognosis and should probably not be offered PTBD.
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