Rapid Dissemination followed by Spontaneous Regression of Metastatic Hepatocellular Carcinoma after Liver Radiofrequency Thermal Ablation: A Case Report with Correlative Immune Assay

Yiqing Xu; Ashrei Bayewitz; Magdalena Tary-Lehmann

doi:10.1159/000527229

Rapid Dissemination followed by Spontaneous Regression of Metastatic Hepatocellular Carcinoma after Liver Radiofrequency Thermal Ablation: A Case Report with Correlative Immune Assay

Case Rep Oncol. 2023 Mar 1;16(1):129-136. doi: 10.1159/000527229. eCollection 2023 Jan-Dec.

Authors

Yiqing Xu¹, Ashrei Bayewitz², Magdalena Tary-Lehmann³

Affiliations

¹ Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY, USA.
² Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Coney Island Hospital, Brooklyn, NY, USA.
³ Contract Laboratory, Cellular Technology Limited, Shaker Heights, OH, USA.

Abstract

Rapid intrahepatic and distant metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after locoregional treatment for early stage tumor is very rare. Descriptions of spontaneous regression of HCC exist in case reports, but its true mechanism is unclear. Here, we describe a case of rapid dissemination with lung metastasis shortly after localized RFA treatment of HCC liver lesions, followed by spontaneous, sustained regression of those lung lesions. We also show the detection of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) specific to hepatitis B antigens by immune assay in this patient. We propose immune-related destruction as the basis for spontaneous regression.

Keywords: Case report; Cytotoxic T cells; Dissemination; Hepatocellular carcinoma; Immune mechanism; Spontaneous regression.

Publication types

Case Reports

Grants and funding

None of the authors have a funding source to declare.