A case of hepatocellular carcinoma with right atrium tumor thrombus treated with combined doxorubicin and interferon-beta/intra-arterial injection chemotherapy and hepatectomy

A-58-year-old male was admitted to Osaka University Hospital for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma in July 2005. The main tumor was located in the posterior segment and hepatic vein tumor thrombus extended to the right cardiac atrium. He felt of pressure in his chest and a serum total bilirubin level was beyond normal range because of the tumor progress. We started a doxorubicin and interferon-beta combined chemotherapy. Although anti-tumor effect was NC, his symptom rather improved and a serum total bilirubin level went into the normal range. Consequently, we performed an extended posterior segmentectomy and tumor thrombectomy of IVC and right cardiac atrium. The patient survived for 13 months after the initial treatment, but he died of distant metastasis. It was suggested that the doxorubicin and interferon-beta combined chemotherapy might be the promising modality for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma as one of the multimodel treatment.