Spontaneous Regression of Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Dhiraj J Sonbare; Rupal Bandi; Vivek Sharma; Thomas Cacciarelli; Obaid S Shaikh

doi:10.1159/000508847

Spontaneous Regression of Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Case Rep Gastroenterol. 2020 Oct 15;14(3):491-496. doi: 10.1159/000508847. eCollection 2020 Sep-Dec.

Authors

Dhiraj J Sonbare^{1

2}, Rupal Bandi^{1

3}, Vivek Sharma¹, Thomas Cacciarelli^{1

2}, Obaid S Shaikh^{1

4}

Affiliations

¹ Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
² Division of Transplant Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
³ Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
⁴ Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality. The tumor carries poor prognosis with curative therapeutic options limited to surgical resection, tumor ablation, and liver transplantation. Rarely, there is spontaneous regression of the tumor. We describe the case of a 74-year-old male with cirrhosis from non-alcoholic steatohepatitis who developed advanced HCC that was associated with tumor invasion of the portal vein and marked elevation of serum alfa-fetoprotein level. The patient received no cancer-specific therapy. However, 1 year after the initial diagnosis, he was noted to have complete regression of the tumor. In this report, we discuss possible mechanisms of spontaneous tumor regression and its therapeutic implications.

Keywords: Carcinogenesis; Cirrhosis; Tumor thrombus.

Publication types

Case Reports