The prognostic value of inflammation-based scores in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma patients prior to treatment with sorafenib

// Guillaume Conroy 1 , Julia Salleron 2 , Arthur Belle 1 , Mouni Bensenane 1 , Abdelbasset Nani 1 , Ahmet Ayav 3 , Didier Peiffert 4 , Anthony Lopez 1 , Cedric Baumann 5 , Helene Barraud 1 and Jean-Pierre Bronowicki 1 1 INSERM U954, Department of Hepato-gastroenterology, Lorraine University, Nancy University Hospital, Vandœuvre-les-Nancy, France 2 Department of Biostatistics, Lorraine Comprehensive Cancer Center, Vandœuvre-les-Nancy, France 3 Department of Digestive, Hepatobiliary and Endocrine Surgery, Lorraine University, Nancy University Hospital, Nancy, France 4 Department of Radiotherapy, Lorraine University, Lorraine Comprehensive Cancer Center, Vandœuvre-les-Nancy, France 5 ESPRI-BioBase Unit, Platform of PARC, Nancy University Hospital, Vandœuvre-les-Nancy, France Correspondence to: Jean-Pierre Bronowicki, email: Jp.bronowicki@chru-nancy.fr Keywords: HCC; inflammation-based scores; sorafenib; prognostic factor Received: June 20, 2017     Accepted: July 25, 2017     Published: September 30, 2017 ABSTRACT Background and Aims: The multikinase inhibitor sorafenib is the only currently approved drug for the indication of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). It provides a limited gain in survival time but is frequently associated with adverse events. We currently lack simple prognostic factors in sorafenib-treated HCC patients. Various inflammation-based scores (IBSs) have been evaluated as predictors of tumor recurrence and survival in various malignancies (including HCC). The objective of the present study was to determine the prognostic value of IBSs for overall survival (OS) in advanced HCC patients prior to the initiation of sorafenib therapy. Methods: Patients with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage C HCC were enrolled retrospectively between October 2007 and September 2015. To identify prognostic factors for OS, bivariate and multivariate analysis were performed using a Cox proportional hazards regression model. Results: 161 patients (87.0% males; median age: 67; median OS: 9.1 months) were enrolled. A multivariate analysis identified a body mass index 38 U/L (HR=2.65, p<0.001), Child Pugh B stage (HR=2.59, p<0.001) and a systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) ≥600 x 10 9 (HR 1.72, p=0.002) as independent risk factors for OS in advanced HCC. Conclusion: IBSs (such as the SII) are novel, simple, low-cost prognostic indices in patients with advanced HCC. They may be of value in determining whether these patients may benefit from sorafenib therapy.