Clear cell hepatocellular carcinoma with spontaneous regression of primary and metastatic lesions

Abstract

The prognosis of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tends to be poor. Spontaneous regression of this lesion is extremely rare. In this report, we describe a case of HCC which spontaneously regressed along with a metastatic lesion of the chest wall. A huge HCC in the right lobe, the largest diameter of which was about 15 × 12 cm, developed in a 72-year-old man. He and his family refused further treatment. Three months after the diagnosis, metastasis to the chest wall was detected. We prescribed a painkiller for him in order to alleviate chest pain. Fourteen months after the diagnosis, the tumor size of the primary lesion was downsized to 3 × 4 cm in diameter. A biopsy taken from the chest wall proved to be clear cell HCC (CHCC). Since then, the metastatic lesion has also disappeared. Here, we report this unusual histologically proven CHCC with literature reviews.