Spontaneous Regression Of Hepatocellular Carcinoma And Review Of Reports In The Published English Literature
Chohan, M. B. Y., Taylor, N., Coffin, C., Burak, K. W., & Bathe, O. F. (2019). Spontaneous Regression of Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Review of Reports in the Published English Literature. Case reports in medicine, 2019, 9756758. https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/9756758
View Original Source →Abstract
BACKGROUND: Spontaneous regression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a rare event, although it has been described by numerous groups. The long-term fate of individuals experiencing an SR is not well described, and the underlying mechanism(s) of SR are unknown. Case Presentation: A 79-year-old Asian female with metastatic HCC taking only valsartan for hypertension had a marked reduction in tumor dimension in the primary tumor and the pulmonary metastases. Serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) decreased from 17,833 μg/L to 26 μg/L. Her disease progressed after 71 months, and she died shortly after. In a review of 66 patients with SR reported in the English literature, median survival was 83 months. Median survival in 37 cases that underwent resection after SR was 108 months. CONCLUSIONS: The case and a review of the literature illustrate that SR is often durable and associated with an excellent prognosis. Understanding the underlying mechanism of SR may point to novel therapeutic strategies.
Case Details
Disease Location
Liver, lung
Personal Characteristics
79-year-old chinese female. History of chronic hepatitis c and well-controlled essential hypertension, for which she took valsartan 80 mg once daily
Clinical Characteristics
Referred for assessment of a liver mass. Her liver edge was nontender and palpable 2 cm below the right costal margin. Serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) was extremely elevated. CT scan revealed a 4.0 × 4.0 cm mass in the right hepatic lobe and three nodules in the lower lung lobes. The patient was given a clinical diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (hcc) with probable pulmonary metastases.
Remission Characteristics
At two months follow-up CT, the lung lesions had completely disappeared, and there was a significant decrease in the size of the primary liver lesion. Serum AFP levels had fallen to almost within the normal range