Four cases with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma who achieved long survival, after surgical resection following to down-staging therapies

Abstract

Therapeutic strategies for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are not established worldwide. We experienced 4 cases with advanced HCC treated with surgical resection after down-staging with sorafenib and hepatic arterial infusion therapy, who could achieve long survival. All four cases had recurrence after resection, however every first recurrence was detected as a single small lesion, due to the intensive surveillance consisted of blood tests including tumor markers every month and radiological examination every 3 months. The recurrences after resection were treated with multidisciplinary therapies based on tumor states and liver function. To our knowledge, there is little information about the patients who received surgical resection after downstaging. These 4 cases demonstrated that down-staging therapies for undergoing surgical resection, close follow-up after resection and multidisciplinary therapies for recurrences enabled the patients with advanced HCC to achieve long survival.