Spontaneous Regression Of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.
Kondo, S., Okusaka, T., Ueno, H., Ikeda, M., & Morizane, C. (2006). spontaneous regression of hepatocellular carcinoma. International journal of clinical oncology, 11(5), 407–411. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10147-006-0591-4
View Original Source →Abstract
We report four patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (all men, with liver cirrhosis and hepatitis C virus infections) who showed spontaneous regression of the tumor. When the spontaneous regression occurred all of the patients were over age 67 years. They showed a rapid increase of serum alpha-fetoprotein levels just before the spontaneous regression of hepatocellular carcinoma. In all the patients, the alpha-fetoprotein level decreased to within normal limits and the tumor was partially to completely reduced in size. One patient revealed regression after bleeding of esophageal varices and blood transfusion. Another showed spontaneous regression after taking several complementary and alternative medicines. However, the mechanisms underlying this intriguing phenomenon remain unknown.
Case Details
Disease Location
Liver
Personal Characteristics
70-year-old man, history of heavy alcohol intake, liver cirrhosis with esophageal varices
Clinical Characteristics
Hcc with portal vein tumor thrombosis, positive HCV. Diffuse-type liver tumors in the right lobe were diagnosed as hcc due to typical CT findings and elevation of the AFP level. He was admitted to our hospital from the emergency department because of bleeding from esophageal varices. After shrinkage biopsy specimens were obtained, under us guidance, from a shrunken tumor in segment 6.
Remission Characteristics
One more later, CT showed viable tumor volume shrinkage, and the AFP level decreased
Treatment & Mechanisms
Proposed Remission Mechanisms
Not discussed
Clinical Treatment
Massive blood transfusion, percutaneous ethanol injection (pei) and transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (tae)