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. 2023 Jan 17;12(4):372–391. doi: 10.1159/000529173

Table 1.

Safety outcomes of patients receiving active treatment, stratified by liver function subgroups defined by ALBI grade

First author
Study name
Study identifier
Intervention (drug class) N Liver function safety subgroups, n Grade ≥3 AEs, % Discontinuation rate, % Dose reductions due to AEs, % Signal for potential relationship between baseline liver function and safety outcomes
Kelley et al. [40]
CELESTIAL
NCT01908426
Cabozantinib (TKI)
N = 707
(cabozantinib: n = 470; placebo: n = 237)
ALBI 1:186 ALBI 2:279 ALBI 1 versus ALBI 2
Any: 75% versus 63%
PPE: 18% versus 16%
Hypertension: 22% versus 12%
AST increased: 8% versus 14%
Fatigue: 8% versus 13%
Diarrhoea: 13% versus 8%
Asthenia: 4% versus 9%
Decreased appetite: 5% versus 6%
Anaemia: 3% versus 5%
ALBI 1 versus ALBI 2
12% versus 19%
NR Yes

AEs: rate of AEs in ALBI 1 and ALBI 2 subgroups consistent with the overall population

Treatment-related discontinuation: higher in ALBI 2 versus ALBI 1

Vogel et al. [33]
RESORCE
NCT01774344
Regorafenib (TKI)
N = 573
(regorafenib: n = 379; placebo: n = 194)
ALBI 1:163
ALBI 2:209
ALBI 1 versus ALBI 2
Any: 76% versus 82%
Hypertension: 20% versus 11%
HFSR: 17% versus 9%
Serious TEAE: 34% versus 53%
TEAEs
Grade 3:59% versus 53%
Grade 4: 7% versus 14%
Grade 5:10% versus 15%
TRAEs
Grade 3:47% versus 46%
Grade 4:3% versus 4%
Grade 5:1% versus 2%
ALBI 1 versus ALBI 2, due to the following
TEAEs: 18% versus 29%
TRAEs: 7% versus 13%
ALBI 1 versus ALBI 2, due to the following
TEAEs: 65% versus 71%
TRAEs: 50% versus 58%
Possibly

Grade 3/4 TEAEs were similar between ALBI grades

ALBI grade 1 (vs. ALBI grade 2) was associated with a lower rate of serious TEAEs and lower rates of treatment discontinuation due to TEAEs and TRAEs

Abdel-Rahman et al. [23]
SUN 1170
NCT00699374
Sorafenib (TKI) N = 544 ALBI 1:230
ALBI 2:269
ALBI 3:38
ALBI unknown/ missing: 7
NR NR NR Yes
Grade ≥3 AEs, OR (95% Cl) versus ALBI 1

ALBI 2:1.628 (1.065–2.487) (p = 0.024)

ALBI 3:0.804 (0.381–1.696) (p = 0.566)

Vogel et al. [35]*
REFLECT
NCT01761266
Sorafenib (TKI) versus lenvatinib (TKI)
N = 954
(lenvatinib: n = 478; sorafenib: n = 476)
ALBI 1:658
ALBI 2:292
ALBI 1 versus ALBI 2 (lenvatinib only)
69.5% versus 86.1 %
ALBI 1 versus ALBI 2 (lenvatinib only)
6.6% versus 13.3%
ALBI 1 versus ALBI 2 (lenvatinib only)
35.5% versus 39.9%
Yes
Patients receiving lenvatinib with ALBI 2 had higher rates (vs. ALBI 1) of the following

grade ≥3 TEAEs

study-drug withdrawal/discontinuation Rates of dose reduction were similar

Kudo et al. [29]
REACH and REACH-2
NCT01140347
NCT02435433
Ramucirumab (mAb)
N = 8 57
(REACH: N = 565
[ramucirumab, n = 283; placebo, n = 282];
REACH-2: N = 292
[ramucirumab, n = 197; placebo, n = 95])
ALBI 1:136
ALBI 2:176
NR
Grade >3 liver injury for ramucirumab ALBI 1 versus ALBI 2 11.8% versus 26.1%
Overall discontinuation
rate ALBI 1 versus ALBI 2
13.2% versus 18.2%
NR Yes
♦ Patients with a higher ALBI grade at baseline had increased incidence of AESIs in both the ramucirumab and placebo arms

Brandi et al. [25]*
REACH-2
NCT02435433
Ramucirumab (mAb) N = 292 Ramucirumab + placebo
ALBI 1:143
ALBI 2:144
ALBI missing: 5
NR NR NR Yes
♦ ALBI 2 (vs. ALBI 1) associated with a higher proportion of grade ≥3 TEAEs

Kudo et al. [39]
IMbrave150
NCT03434379
Atezolizumab (CPI) + bevacizumab (mAb)
N = 501 (atezolizumab + bevacizumab: n = 336; sorafenib: n = 165)
ALBI 1:270
mALBI 2a: 108
mALBI 2b: 107
TRAEs; ALBI 1 versus ALBI 2a versus ALBI 2b
Atezolizumab + bevacizumab
48% versus 38% versus 38%
Sorafenib
46% versus 57% versus 37%
ALBI 1 versus ALBI 2a versus ALBI 2b, due to TRAEs
Atezolizumab + bevacizumab
17% versus 25% versus 30%
Sorafenib
9% versus 14% versus 16%
ALBI 1 versus ALBI 2a versus ALBI 2b, due to TRAEs
Atezolizumab + bevacizumab: none permitted
Sorafenib
37% versus 38% versus 37%
Possibly
♦Patients with a higher ALBI grade at baseline had increased incidence of discontinuing therapy due to TRAEs
♦There was no clear association between baseline ALBI classification and grade ≥3 TRAEs or (sorafenib) dose reductions

AE, adverse event; AESI, adverse event of special interest; ALBI, albumin-bilirubin grade; AST, aspartate aminotransferase; Cl, confidence interval; CPI, checkpoint inhibitor; HFSR, hand-foot skin reaction; mAb, monoclonal antibody; mALBI, modified albumin-bilirubin; NCT, National Clinical Trial; NR, not reported; OR, odds ratio; PPE, palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia; TEAE, treatment-emergent adverse event; TKI, tyrosine kinase inhibitor; TRAE, treatment-related adverse event. *Stratified results according to ALBI grade and by Child-Pugh score.