TWO CASES OF GASTROINTESTINAL ULCERATION FOLLOWING SORAFENIB ADMINISTRATION FOR HEPATOCELLULAR CARCINOMA

Abstract

Two patients who had gastrointestinal ulceration due to sorafenib presented at our department. Case 1 : A 69-year-old male was admitted to our hospital for the treatment of anemia, which occurred 50 days after he started sorafenib treatment. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopic findings revealed ulcerative lesions in the posterior wall of the upper body of the stomach. Case 2 : A 62-year-old male was admitted for bloody stool that occurred 60 days after the start of sorafenib administration. Colonoscopic findings revealed ulcerative lesions in the sigmoid colon. Both of the ulcerative lesions were shallow, and a colonic ulcer was located along the longitudinal axis of the intestine. After stopping sorafenib administration, the symptoms disappeared rapidly in both cases. It was suggested that sorafenib might induce thrombosis via the inhibition of vascular endothelial growth factor and provoke ischemic gastrointestinal ulceration.