Breakthrough Liver Cancer Treatment Found

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In this study, 602 patients with advanced liver cancer were randomly assigned to receive either 400 milligrams of Nexavar twice a day or a placebo for six months.

Patients receiving the drug lived a median of 10.7 months, compared with only 7.9 months for those on a placebo. Time to cancer progression was 5.5 months in the Nexavar group, versus only 2.8 months in the placebo group. The findings were so positive that the study was terminated early.

"We recommended ending the trial early because of survival advantages favoring the sorafenib group," said Llovet.

Side effects were similar in the two groups, the most common being diarrhea, skin reactions, fatigue and bleeding.

"Sorafenib was well tolerated with manageable side effects," Llovet said.

A second study presented Monday at the cancer meeting offered a bit of good news for colorectal cancer patients.

When chemotherapy was given both before and after surgery to remove liver metastases in colorectal cancer patients, the risk of the liver tumor recurring was reduced almost 30 percent.

"A few years ago, we had only palliation to offer these patients and survival lasted no longer than six months," said Dr. Bernard Nordlinger, lead author of the study and chairman of surgery and oncology at Ambroise Pare Hospital in Paris. "This treatment should be proposed as a new standard for these patients."

One million people are diagnosed with colorectal cancer each year; up to half will see their cancer spread to the liver. Liver tumors are removed when possible, but only 30 percent to 35 percent of patients who have liver metastases survive five years after surgery.

More information

Visit the American Cancer Society for more on liver cancer.