Analysis of the liver functional reserve of patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma undergoing sorafenib treatment: Prospects for regorafenib therapy

Aim This study aimed to investigate liver functional reserves during sorafenib treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), to identify predictive factors for maintaining them, and to analyze the proportion of candidates for regorafenib, which has been proven to improve patients’ outcomes in the RESORCE trial. Methods We retrospectively investigated Child–Pugh scores during and after sorafenib treatment and evaluated their effects on second‐line treatment and outcomes of 125 patients with advanced HCC. Results Pretreatment Child–Pugh A was maintained in 59/90 (65.6%) patients and pretreatment Child–Pugh B was improved to Child–Pugh A in 10/35 (28.6%) patients when sorafenib ceased. A Child–Pugh score = 5 and aspartate amino transferase