Hand-Foot Syndrome and Post-Progression Treatment Are the Good Predictors of Better Survival in Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treated with Sorafenib: A Multicenter Study

<b><i>Objective:</i></b> To determine the relationship between treatment outcomes and hand-foot syndrome (HFS), and the relationship between survival rate and post-progression treatment after sorafenib therapy. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> The study assessed 314 patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated with sorafenib at 5 general hospitals in Kagawa Prefecture, Japan. <b><i>Results:</i></b> At the start of sorafenib therapy, 23.6% of the patients had HCC of a Child-Pugh class other than A. The initial sorafenib dose was 800 mg in 9.2% of the patients and 400 mg in 64.3%. Time to progression was 129 days (95% CI: 87.3-170.7) and the median overall survival (OS) was 392 days (95% CI: 316.0-468.0). The OS of the patients with Child-Pugh class A HCC was significantly better than that of the patients with Child-Pugh class B HCC (<i>p</i> < 0.0001). The survival curves for Child-Pugh class A-5 points and class A-6 points were significantly different, with that for class A-5 points being better (<i>p</i> < 0.0001). A significant difference was observed between the patients who exhibited HFS and those who did not, with the former exhibiting a better survival rate (<i>p</i> < 0.001). In addition, the survival rate of the patients who received post-progression treatment after sorafenib therapy was significantly better than that of the patients who did not (<i>p</i> < 0.001). <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> In sorafenib therapy, patients with HFS and those who received post-progression treatment exhibited good OS.