AFP, AFP-L3% and DCP levels in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma treated with sorafenib

1I. Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik, Universitat Mainz, 2Klinik und Poliklinik fur Radiologie, Universitat Mainz, 3Transplantationschirurgie und Chirurgie von Leber, Gallenwegen, Pankreas, Universitat Mainz, 4Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd., Neuss, 5Labor Prof. Seelig und Kollegen, Karlsruhe 1 I . Background and aims The multikinase inhibitor sorafenib (Nexavar®) was approved for the therapy of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in 2008. Within the SHARP study a life-extension of 2,8 months with an acceptable profile of side-effects could be demonstrated for patients with Child-Pugh A liver cirrhosis.1 AFP-L3 (in %) is the fraction of Lens culinaris agglutinin-reactive AFP to total AFP and is also, like DCP (des-gamma-carboxyprothrombin), useful for early detection and prognosis assessment of HCC.2,3 Considering the shortcomings of RECIST criteria in the age of targeted therapy we have investigated in this study serum levels of AFP, AFP-L3 and DCP as potential markers for monitoring of the response to sorafenib therapy.