The Prognostic Value of CRP in HCC

Ghassan K. Abou-Alfa, MD, Gastrointestinal Oncology Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discusses a retrospective study to determine the prognostic value of C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who are undergoing treatment with sorafenib.

Clinical Pearls:

• Results showed that high CRP levels imply a worse outcome with regard to progression-free survival and overall survival in patients that were being treated with sorafenib
• These results should not be looked at too deeply, since the study was retrospective and part of a small series
• As physicians learn more about HCC and the different markers, CRP is intriguing because of the interest in anti-inflammatory drugs