Sorafenib combined with doxorubicin appears to offer longer time to progression in cases of advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma than doxorubicin monotherapy, latest research suggests.

The findings, presented at the 19th International Congress on Anti-Cancer Treatment (Icact), show that patients receiving the combination therapy have longer survival and progression-free survival times, DGDispatch reports.

The randomised, double-bind placebo-controlled phase two study gave patients doxorubicin therapy intravenously at a dose of 60 mg every 21 days, while 47 patients received oral sorafenib at a dose of 400 mg twice daily, and 49 given a placebo twice daily over 18 weeks.

Patients receiving sorafenib showed a median time to progression of 8.6 and 4.8 months in patients on placebo, with average overall survival was at 13.7 months in the sorafenib group and 6.5 months in the placebo patients.

"This trial supports the growing body of evidence of the activity of sorafenib in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma," lead author Dr Ghassan Abou-Alfa explained.

However, he added: "Any synergistic role between sorafenib and doxorubicin needs to be further defined."

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