Introduction: Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) accounts for 10% to 15% of all primary hepatic carcinomas. However, there are no effective drug treatment strategies against ICC, and surgery is currently the only curative treatment. Here, we present a case of ICC successfully treated with anlotinib, a novel oral agent.
Patient concerns: The patient was a 66-year-old Han Chinese woman, and she was a retired worker. The patient had no history of hepatitis B infection or hypertension. Physical examination showed no abnormalities, and the patient showed no conscious discomfort. However, ultrasound revealed liver occupation.
Diagnosis: Liver ultrasound and enhanced computed tomography (CT) indicated liver cancer with intrahepatic metastasis. Serum carbohydrate antigen 199 and alpha fetoprotein levels were high at 4270 and 1561 ng/mL, respectively. Pathologic findings of CT-guided liver biopsy revealed an adenocarcinoma. Owing to further immunohistochemical staining and clinical results, a diagnosis of ICC was made.
Interventions: The patient had received 5 cycles of transhepatic arterial chemotherapy and embolization and 1 cycle of microwave ablation. Due to rapid tumor progression and loss of liver function, systemic chemotherapy was contraindicated. As second-line therapy, she received anlotinib, a novel tyrosine kinase inhibitor that inhibits tumor angiogenesis and proliferative signaling and has been used to treat refractory advanced non-small-cell lung cancer that shows progression despite treatment with ≥2 chemotherapy regimens.
Outcomes: This patient showed a partial response after 2 cycles of treatment with anlotinib (12 mg daily, days 1-14 of a 21-day cycle). Drug-related side effects, such as hypertension and hand foot skin reaction, were observed. After 4 cycles of anlotinib, the efficacy appeared to be stable, and the patient showed a progression-free survival period of almost 4 months. However, the patient's condition worsened and she died of liver failure 6 months after treatment (overall survival, almost 6 months).
Conclusion: Some cases of ICC may be responsive to the antiangiogenic drug, anlotinib, when combined with microwave ablation. Randomized clinical studies are required to further confirm the efficacy and safety of anlotinib in the clinical treatment of ICC.