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The only approved systemic agent to treat inoperable or metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is sorafenib, a multikinase inhibitor that achieves only modest disease control and survival. Erlotinib — an epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor — has shown modest antitumor activity in phase II trials of patients with advanced HCC.
Investigators now report results of the SEARCH trial, an industry-sponsored, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase III trial comparing first-line sorafenib plus either erlotinib or placebo in 720 patients with advanced HCC. All patients had Childs Pugh A liver disease; 76% and 75%, respectively, were treated in Europe or North America; 61% and 60% had performance stat…