Two hepatectomy cases for initially unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma after achieving a radiological complete response to sequential therapy with lenvatinib and transcatheter arterial chemoembolization

Abstract

We herein report two cases of locally advanced unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (u-HCC) that were resected after achieving a radiological complete response to initially administered lenvatinib followed by transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (LEN-TACE sequential therapy). A 78-year-old woman and an 80-year-old man with HCC of Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer classification stage C were treated for 15 and 14 months with lenvatinib, respectively. Both patients were subsequently treated with TACE, resulting in complete remission on imaging. The α-fetoprotein level in the woman and man decreased markedly from 9370 ng/ml to 46 ng/ml and from 6380 ng/ml to 3 ng/ml, respectively, leading to hepatectomy. A histopathological examination showed coagulative necrosis of the entire HCC in one case, while the other showed a small population of viable HCC cells. The results showed that LEN-TACE sequential therapy has a synergic effect and could be a promising option for locally advanced u-HCC.

Keywords: hepatocellular carcinoma; lenvatinib; sequential therapy; transcatheter arterial chemoembolization.