A case of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma treated successfully with Juzentaihoto

Abstract

The patient was an 84-year-old man. He had received repeated percutaneous local ablation or transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in the past. However, due to the worsening renal dysfunction, he was not able to receive TACE for intrahepatic recurrence. He was therefore administered Tegafur/uracil, resulting in an elevated tumor marker level and the growth of the primary tumor with multiple lung metastases. He was treated with the best supportive care and administered Juzentaihoto, a Japanese traditional herbal medicine. The tumor marker level subsequently decreased markedly, and the intrahepatic tumor shrank in size and the multiple lung metastases disappeared. Juzentaihoto may be a promising treatment option for patients with advanced HCC refractory to recommended treatments or advanced HCC patients with a poor functional liver reserve.