Detection of Early Tumor Response to Axitinib in Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Dynamic Contrast Enhanced
Glen M Lo1, Hassan Al Zahrani2, Hyun Jung Jang2
1Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Radiology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, QEII Medical Centre, Perth, Western Australia.
Abstract:
This study aimed to evaluate the utility of dynamic contrast-enhanced ultrasound (DCE-US) in measuring early tumor response of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma to axitinib. Twenty patients were enrolled (aged 18-78 y; median 65). DCE-US was performed with bolus injection and infusion/disruption replenishment. Median overall survival was 7.1 mo (1.8-27.3) and progression free survival was 3.6 mo (1.8-17.4). Fifteen patients completed infusion scans and 12 completed bolus scans at 2 wk. Among the perfusion parameters, fractional blood volume at infusion (INFBV) decreased at 2 wk in 10/15 (16%-81% of baseline, mean 47%) and increased in 5/15 (116%-535%, mean 220%). This was not significantly associated with progression free survival (p = 0.310) or progression at 16 wk (p = 0.849), but was borderline statistically significant (p = 0.050) with overall survival, limited by a small sample size. DCE-US is potentially useful in measuring early tumor response of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma to axitinib, but a larger trial is needed.
