Initial experience of ramucirumab treatment after lenvatinib failure for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma

Background/Aim: The outcomes of ramucirumab after lenvatinib failure for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with alpha fetoprotein (AFP) levels of ≥400 ng/ml are unknown. Patients and Methods: Of 12 patients treated with ramucirumab after lenvatinib failure, 10 patients were enrolled in this retrospective study. Results: The disease control rate of 80% at 6 weeks and the median time to progression of 3.1 months were the same by both the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) and the modified RECIST. AFP reduction was seen in 5 patients at 2 weeks and in 3 patients at 6 weeks. The incidence of grade 3 adverse events was low at 10%. The albumin.bilirubin scores within 6 weeks did not worsen. Conclusion: Ramucirumab might have potential therapeutic efficacy and safety in advanced HCC patients after lenvatinib failure. Further studies are needed to confirm the outcomes of ramucirumab after lenvatinib failure.