# STORM: adjuvant sorafenib after resection or ablation of hepatocellular carcinoma

Source: https://onco.cc/key-papers/paper-storm-adjuvant-sorafenib-bruix-lancet-oncol-2015/  
OnCo record `paper-storm-adjuvant-sorafenib-bruix-lancet-oncol-2015` (Key paper). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

Four years of sorafenib after curative surgery or ablation for liver cancer did not delay recurrence or lengthen survival, and caused substantial toxicity, closing the door on kinase inhibitors as adjuvant therapy.

## Summary

Phase 3 placebo-controlled trial of 1,114 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma after complete resection or ablation randomised to sorafenib or placebo for up to four years.

Median recurrence-free survival was 33.3 versus 33.7 months (hazard ratio 0.94) with no difference in time to recurrence or overall survival, and more than a quarter of sorafenib patients discontinued because of adverse events.

## Fields

- Kind: Key paper
- Last checked: 2026-09-17
- Journal: The Lancet Oncology
- Year: 2015
- DOI: 10.1016/S1470-2045(15)00198-9
- Authors: Bruix J, Takayama T, Mazzaferro V, et al.
- Findings: Median recurrence-free survival 33.3 vs 33.7 months; hazard ratio 0.94.; Discontinuation for adverse events 24 percent vs 7 percent.
- What it means: No adjuvant systemic therapy is recommended after curative treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma, a conclusion reinforced by the later failure of IMbrave050.
- Caveats: Population included patients with relatively low recurrence risk.

## Sources

- Lancet Oncol 2015: https://doi.org/10.1016/S1470-2045(15)00198-9
- PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26361969/

## Connected records

- cancers: [Early hepatocellular carcinoma (BCLC 0 and A)](https://onco.cc/cancers/hcc-early/)
- drugs: [Sorafenib](https://onco.cc/drugs/sorafenib/)
- journals: [The Lancet Oncology](https://onco.cc/journals/lancet-oncology/)

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