Clinical Medicine Reviews in Oncology

Better understanding of the molecular events involved in hepatic carcinogenesis has led to a new era of targeted therapy for the treatment of advanced HCC. Sorafenib is the first and only systemic agent that has been approved to show the survival benefit in advanced HCC. In addition, results from phase I and II studies of other molecularly targeted agents are promising, however larger phase III studies are needed to determine what role these agents will play. This review will explore the data surrounding the efficacy of sorafenib in various clinical settings, dose modification and the management of toxicities, and the promise of new therapeutic agents.