Long-term complete response after transcatheter arterial chemoembolization and stereotactic body radiation therapy in a patient with hepatocellular carcinoma at the caudate lobe

Abstract

It is expected that a combination of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) with stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) may induce synergistic therapeutic effects in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which would result in a high rate of complete therapeutic response. In this study, we present the 5-year clinical course of a patient who had HCC at the caudate lobe, which was treated with TACE and SBRT. A 53-year-old male was diagnosed with an 8 cm-sized HCC at the caudate lobe with compression of the inferior vena cava (IVC). For fear of pulmonary metastasis, we decided to perform sequential TACE-radiotherapy instead of upfront hepatectomy, although the tumor appeared resectable. The first session of TACE, SBRT with 12 fractions, and the second session of TACE were sequentially performed. The patient was administered metformin for chemoprevention. Over the course of a 5-year follow-up, there was no evidence of HCC recurrence. We reported the clinical sequence of a patient showing complete therapeutic response of HCC at the caudate lobe after a combination of TACE and radiotherapy. This type of combined locoregional treatment can be a therapeutic option for HCC at the caudate lobe with marginal resectability.