Introduction
Lenvatinib (trade name: Lenvima) has been approved in Germany since August 2018 for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (a type of liver cancer) in adults who have not previously had any systemic treatment. Lenvatinib is considered if the hepatocellular carcinoma is advanced or surgery is not an option.
Hepatocellular carcinoma is caused by malignant changes in the cells of the liver. Hepatocellular carcinoma is usually not very noticeable at first. General symptoms such as nausea or loss of appetite don’t occur until it reaches an advanced stage. Large tumors often cause tenderness on the right side of the upper abdomen. The tummy may also swell as a result of fluids there (ascites).
Hepatocellular carcinoma is difficult to treat. It may have grown so much that the cancer can no longer be treated through surgery.
Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma often also have cirrhosis, which makes the function of the liver increasingly worse. If the cirrhosis is advanced, it’s no longer possible to provide the best treatment for the cancer. The Child-Pugh score is used to show how advanced the liver cirrhosis is.
The goal of treatment with lenvatinib is to block various proteins, which stops tumor growth. The medication also aims to stop tumor growth directly in the cells of the liver.