摘要
The success of sorafenib in prolonging survival of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) makes therapeutic inhibition of angiogenesis a component of treatment for HCC. To enhance therapeutic efficacy, overcomedrug resistance and reduce toxicity, combination of antiangiogenic agents with chemotherapy, radiotherapy or other targeted agents were evaluated. Nevertheless, the use of antiangiogenic therapy remains suboptimal regarding dosage, schedule and duration of therapy. The issue is further complicated by combination antiangiogenesis to other cytotoxic or biologic agents. There is no way to determine which patients are most likely respond to a given form of antiangiogenic therapy. Activation of alternative pathways associated with disease progression in patients undergoing antiangiogenic therapy has also been recognized. There is increasing importance in identifying, validating and standardizing potential response biomarkers for antiangiogenesis therapy for HCC patients. In this review, biomarkers for antiangiogenesis therapy including systemic, circulating, tissue and imaging ones are summarized. The strength and deficit of circulating and imaging biomarkers were further demonstrated by a series of studies in HCC patients receiving radiotherapy with or without thalidomide.
The success of sorafenib in prolonging survival of patientswith hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) makes therapeuticinhibition of angiogenesis a component of treatmentfor HCC. To enhance therapeutic efficacy, overcome drug resistance and reduce toxicity, combination ofantiangiogenic agents with chemotherapy,radiotherapyor other targeted agents were evaluated. Nevertheless,the use of antiangiogenic therapy remains suboptimalregarding dosage, schedule and duration of therapy.The issue is further complicated by combinationantiangiogenesis to other cytotoxic or biologic agents.There is no way to determine which patients are mostlikely respond to a given form of antiangiogenic therapy.Activation of alternative pathways associated with diseaseprogression in patients undergoing antiangiogenictherapy has also been recognized. There is increasingimportance in identifying, validating and standardizingpotential response biomarkers for antiangiogenesistherapy for HCC patients. In this review, biomarkers forantiangiogenesis therapy including systemic, circulating,tissue and imaging ones are summarized. The strengthand deficit of circulating and imaging biomarkerswere further demonstrated by a series of studies inHCC patients receiving radiotherapy with or withoutthalidomide.
基金
Supported by National Health Research Institutes,Taiwan