e15604 Background: No survival benefit has been observed for selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) with yttrium-90 resin microspheres versus (vs.) sorafenib in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In NEMESIS, we assessed by an individual patient data meta-analysis whether SIRT, either as monotherapy or followed by sorafenib, is non-inferior to sorafenib and compared safety profiles. Here we present preliminary data. Methods: A systematic search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library, up to 6 December 2018, found three randomized trials comparing SIRT as monotherapy, or followed by sorafenib, to sorafenib monotherapy among patients with advanced HCC. The main outcomes were overall survival (OS) and frequency of adverse events (AEs). Survival data were pooled (fixed effect analysis). The primary population for non-inferiority analysis was the per-protocol (PP) population. The non-inferiority margin for the hazard ratio (HR) upper boundary was set at 1.08 as specified in EASL guidelines. Results: The three included trials compared sorafenib to SIRT (SIRveNIB and SARAH) or to SIRT followed by sorafenib (SORAMIC) in 1243 patients. After randomization, 23.3% vs. 7.1% of patients (p < 0.0001) did not receive the allocated intervention, and 542/608 (89.1%) vs. 418/635 (65.8%), (odds ratio [OR] 4.3, 95% CI: 3.2-5.8, p < 0.0001) completed the study without major protocol deviations (PP population), in the SIRT and sorafenib arms, respectively. Baseline characteristics of the PP population did not differ between the two comparison groups. Median OS with SIRT followed or not by sorafenib was non-inferior to sorafenib (HR 0.90, 95% CI 0.78–1.02). Treatment-related AEs grades ≥3 were reported in 109/356 (30.6%) patients who received SIRT and 197/378 (52.1%) patients in the sorafenib arm (SIRveNIB and SARAH only, p = 0.0002). Conclusions: SIRT as initial therapy for advanced HCC is non-inferior to sorafenib in OS, and offers a better safety profile.
Efficacy, tolerability and impact on quality of life of selective internal radiation therapy (with yttrium-90 resin microspheres) or sorafenib in patients with locally advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: The SARAH trial
