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Abstract Details
Metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma: When surgery and successive palliative treatments lead to remission
Brochard C, Hamy A, Michalak S, Aubé C, Picquet J, Nebout N, Caroli-Bosc FX, Oberti F, Calès P, Boursier J. Clin Res Hepatol Gastroenterol. 2013 Apr 19. pii: S2210-7401(13)00042-9. doi: 10.1016/j.clinre.2013.02.006. [Epub ahead of print]
Source
Department of Hepato-Gastroenterology, University Hospital, Angers, France.
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of death by cancer worldwide. The prognosis of patients with metastatic HCC remains limited, with an expected median survival lower than 50% at 1year. Here, we report the case of a 63-year-old man who suffered from a small HCC in the liver and a large unique metastasis in the right adrenal gland. A surgical resection of both lesions was performed. Seven months later, HCC recurred with an isolated right renal metastatic lymphadenopathy and a high alpha-fetoprotein level. HCC was brought under control by sorafenib; the alpha-fetoprotein level was greatly reduced but remained moderately elevated and stable over 2years after the onset of chemotherapy. Additional external radiotherapy on the metastatic lymphadenopathy led to a normalization of the alpha-fetoprotein level and discontinuation of sorafenib treatment. One year after the end of radiotherapy, a second isolated metastasis occurred in the right lung. This tumor was surgically removed. Twenty-one months after this second surgical procedure, i.e., more than 5.5years after the initial diagnosis of metastatic HCC, the patient was asymptomatic and tumor free.