Is the efficacy of sorafenib treatment in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma affected by age?

Cancer is a prevalent disease in the elderly population and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major health problem among all tumors. Curative treatments for early-stage include liver transplantation, resection and percutaneous ablation. Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) and sorafenib, classified as non-curative treatments, can improve survival for patients with intermediate and advanced tumors, respectively. Even if the incidence of HCC progressively increases with advanced age in all populations, reaching a peak at 70 years, few reports concerning correct management of HCC in elderly patients exist. Moreover, data from large randomized controlled trials (RCT) poorly reflect the elderly population that is often quantitatively and qualitatively underrepresented, as a result of the presence of tight enrolment criteria. The aim of this brief review is to highlight the main concerns, pitfalls and warnings regarding the management of HCC in elderly patients, with particular focus on systemic therapy with sorafenib.