Des-γ-carboxyprothrombin may be a promising biomarker to determine the therapeutic efficacy of sorafenib for hepatocellular carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of des-γ-carboxyprothrombin (DCP) as a marker for the efficacy of sorafenib therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

METHODS

Patients with advanced HCC treated with sorafenib were retrospectively evaluated, focusing on DCP levels and clinical characteristics.

RESULTS

50 patients with advanced HCC were treated with sorafenib alone. In 25 of these patients, the serum levels of DCP were evaluated twice (pretreatment and within 2 weeks after starting therapy). The time to progression was significantly longer in patients in whom the DCP level at 2 weeks after starting sorafenib was ≥2-fold higher than the pretreatment levels, as compared with patients without an increase in DCP (p = 0.0296).

CONCLUSIONS

The serum level of DCP is a surrogate marker for tissue hypoxia and can be a predictive marker to assess the tumor response to sorafenib therapy.