Title: Regorafenib combined with transarterial chemoembolization for unresectable
hepatocellular carcinoma: a real-world study
Version: 1 Date: 10 May 2021
Reviewer's report:
This study provides real-world evidence indicating that regorafenib combined with TACE was
beneficial and tolerable in patients with unresectable HCC. This is an important issue but there
are several issues should be clarified and corrected before further processing:
1. Why authors did not analyze the prognostic factors of OS, PFS and TTP with multivariate but
only univariate analysis ? The results of statistical analysis were not convincing.
2. According to definition that P-values <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Therefore,
tumor size seems to be associated with PFS. Please check the sentence is correct or not.
3. Please show the “patients at risk” in figure 2-4.
4. Please check figure 2D is correct or not because it is not compatible with figure legend.
5. In table 1 & 2, please check the sum of patients is equal to total patients including ECOG
status, tumor number, CTP grade, TACE method and regorafenib initial dose.
6. Authors should offer data that TACE combined with Regorafenib could offer better OS, PFS
and TTP than 1st line regimen whether sorafenib or lenvatinib use. Besides, the major limitation
of this study is lack of control group that it’s difficult to convince the readers that TACE
combined with Regorafenib could offer better OS, PFS and TTP than TACE or regorafenib
alone.
7. It’s interesting that higher dose had better prognosis. However, this phenomenon is not seen
from other study (Yoo et al, Liver International 2020). Since initial higher dosage with 120 or
160 mg had better OS, PFS and TTP than lower dosage, why every enrolled patient did not
receive higher dosage in the beginning of treatment ?
Title: Regorafenib combined with transarterial chemoembolization for unresectable
hepatocellular carcinoma: a real-world study
Version: 1 Date: 10 May 2021
Reviewer's report:
This study provides real-world evidence indicating that regorafenib combined with TACE was
beneficial and tolerable in patients with unresectable HCC. This is an important issue but there
are several issues should be clarified and corrected before further processing:
1. Why authors did not analyze the prognostic factors of OS, PFS and TTP with multivariate but
only univariate analysis ? The results of statistical analysis were not convincing.
2. According to definition that P-values <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Therefore,
tumor size seems to be associated with PFS. Please check the sentence is correct or not.
3. Please show the “patients at risk” in figure 2-4.
4. Please check figure 2D is correct or not because it is not compatible with figure legend.
5. In table 1 & 2, please check the sum of patients is equal to total patients including ECOG
status, tumor number, CTP grade, TACE method and regorafenib initial dose.
6. Authors should offer data that TACE combined with Regorafenib could offer better OS, PFS
and TTP than 1st line regimen whether sorafenib or lenvatinib use. Besides, the major limitation
of this study is lack of control group that it’s difficult to convince the readers that TACE
combined with Regorafenib could offer better OS, PFS and TTP than TACE or regorafenib
alone.
7. It’s interesting that higher dose had better prognosis. However, this phenomenon is not seen
from other study (Yoo et al, Liver International 2020). Since initial higher dosage with 120 or
160 mg had better OS, PFS and TTP than lower dosage, why every enrolled patient did not
receive higher dosage in the beginning of treatment ?
Please review this paper.
user
Title: Regorafenib combined with transarterial chemoembolization for unresectable
hepatocellular carcinoma: a real-world study
Version: 1 Date: 10 May 2021
Reviewer's report:
This study provides real-world evidence indicating that regorafenib combined with TACE was
beneficial and tolerable in patients with unresectable HCC. This is an important issue but there
are several issues should be clarified and corrected before further processing:
1. Why authors did not analyze the prognostic factors of OS, PFS and TTP with multivariate but
only univariate analysis ? The results of statistical analysis were not convincing.
2. According to definition that P-values <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Therefore,
tumor size seems to be associated with PFS. Please check the sentence is correct or not.
3. Please show the “patients at risk” in figure 2-4.
4. Please check figure 2D is correct or not because it is not compatible with figure legend.
5. In table 1 & 2, please check the sum of patients is equal to total patients including ECOG
status, tumor number, CTP grade, TACE method and regorafenib initial dose.
6. Authors should offer data that TACE combined with Regorafenib could offer better OS, PFS
and TTP than 1st line regimen whether sorafenib or lenvatinib use. Besides, the major limitation
of this study is lack of control group that it’s difficult to convince the readers that TACE
combined with Regorafenib could offer better OS, PFS and TTP than TACE or regorafenib
alone.
7. It’s interesting that higher dose had better prognosis. However, this phenomenon is not seen
from other study (Yoo et al, Liver International 2020). Since initial higher dosage with 120 or
160 mg had better OS, PFS and TTP than lower dosage, why every enrolled patient did not
receive higher dosage in the beginning of treatment ?
assistant