Case Report
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World J Gastroenterol. Oct 21, 2014; 20(39): 14505-14509
Published online Oct 21, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i39.14505
Complete response to sorafenib in a patient with recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma
Hong-Bo Huan, Wan-Yee Lau, Feng Xia, Kuan-Sheng Ma, Ping Bie
Hong-Bo Huan, Wan-Yee Lau, Feng Xia, Kuan-Sheng Ma, Ping Bie, Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Southwest Hospital, Southwest Cancer Center, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China
Wan-Yee Lau, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
Author contributions: Xia F conceived the study and contributed to the literature review; Huan HB prepared the figures and drafted the manuscript; Lau WY helped to write the manuscript; Ma KS and Bie P acquired and interpreted the clinical data; all authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Correspondence to: Feng Xia, MD, PhD, Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Southwest Hospital, Southwest Cancer Center, Third Military Medical University, No. 30 Gaotanyan Street, Shapingba District, Chongqing 400038, China. txzzxf@163.com
Telephone: +86-23-68765797 Fax: +86-23-65317637
Received: February 27, 2014
Revised: May 12, 2014
Accepted: June 13, 2014
Published online: October 21, 2014
Processing time: 235 Days and 6.3 Hours
Abstract

Partial hepatectomy is still the treatment of choice aiming at a cure for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), provided that the patient can tolerate the treatment. For patients with multiple recurrent HCC after partial hepatectomy which cannot be treated by re-hepatectomy or local ablative therapy, the prognosis is extremely poor. Sorafenib is a molecular-targeted agent which has been demonstrated in two global phase III randomized controlled trials to show survival benefit for advanced HCC. Here, we present a 56-year-old patient with HCC who showed complete clinical response after sorafenib was used for tumor recurrence which developed 3 mo after partial hepatectomy. There was no evidence of progression of disease for 60 mo till now after continuous treatment with sorafenib.

Keywords: Hepatocellular carcinoma; Partial hepatectomy; Sorafenib; Complete response

Core tip: For patients with multiple recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after partial hepatectomy which cannot be treated by re-hepatectomy or local ablative therapy, the prognosis is extremely poor. Our case showed that the patient with recurrent HCC treated with sorafenib can achieve a complete clinical response as it did in advanced HCC.