Safety and efficacy of sunitinib in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: an open-label, multicentre, phase II study

The role of signaling pathways in the development and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma

“…Patients with decreased interleukin-6 and sc-KIT after 14 days of treatment showed improved PFS and OS. In a second phase II study (sunitinib 50 mg/day for 4 weeks out of every 6), one patient (out of 37) had a confirmed PR and 35% of patients had SD as their best response (Faivre et al, 2009). Median OS and PFS were 8.0 and 3.7 months, respectively.…”

Drug-Eluting Beads Loaded with Antiangiogenic Agents for Chemoembolization: In Vitro Sunitinib Loading and Release and In Vivo Pharmacokinetics in an Animal Model

“…In contrast, sunitinib given perorally did not result in a change in liver enzymes, indicating that there was no drug-related change in enzyme levels. Recently, a randomized, unblinded phase III trial with oral sunitinib 37.5 mg/d vs. sorafenib 400 mg twice /d has revealed inferior overall survival and more frequent adverse events with sunitinib and was therefore discontinued (19), although sunitinib doses had been lowered compared to earlier phase II trials (37,38). These issues might be overcome by local drug targeting, for which appropriate doses need to be determined.…”

Molecular Targeted Therapy for Growth Factors in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

“…Some large phase III studies of new targeted agents alone or such agents in combination with sorafenib vs. sorafenib alone have also been conducted. Some multikinase inhibitors, such as sunitinib, brivanib and linifanib, that have shown promising antitumor activity against HCC in phase II studies [22][23][24][25] have been investigated in head-to-head study comparisons with sorafenib (Table 3). Some phase III studies comparing sorafenib in combination with another molecular targeted agent or cytotoxic agent vs. sorafenib alone are also under way.…”