Hepatocellular carcinoma tumor thrombus entering the inferior vena cava treated with percutaneous RF ablation: a case report.

ABSTRACT: PURPOSE:Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common form of liver cancer. In advanced cancer stages (metastatic disease and/or vascular invasion), the generally accepted standard of care is systemic therapy using sorafenib as first-line treatment and, recently, regorafenib and nivolumab as second-line treatment, but the quality of life and the prognosis of patients remain very poor. Our paper reports a case of US-guided radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of both intraparenchymal HCC and inferior vena cava tumor thrombus. METHODS:We treated a patient with HCC associated with tumor thrombus extending into vena cava after failure of sorafenib therapy using US-guided radiofrequency ablation (RFA). RESULTS:A good radiological and clinical response was observed in association with excellent tolerability. The patient has been followed up for 15 months from the ablation, is alive, and is in a good clinical condition without evidence of tumor recurrence. CONCLUSION:This is the first case in which this minimally invasive percutaneous procedure has been successfully used to treat an HCC thrombus entering the vena cava.

SUBMITTER: Gatti P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6704268 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature