title: Regression of hepatocellular carcinoma during vitamin K administration.
abstract: An 85-year-old man with HCV infection and diabetes mellitus was diagnosed as having hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC, 13 cm in diameter) based on high serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), AFP-L3, and des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin levels as well as typical enhancement pattern on contrast-enhanced CT. The patient did not receive any interventional treatments because of advanced age and the advanced stage of HCC. He chose to take vitamin K, which was reported to suppress the growth of HCC in vitro. Three months after starting vitamin K, all three tumor markers were normalized and HCC was markedly regressed, showing no enhancement in the early arterial phase on CT. Here we present the report describing the regression of HCC during the administration of vitamin K.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Hiroshima City Hospital, Naka-ku, Hiroshima-city, Hiroshima 730-8518, Japan. nouso@cc.okayama-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nouso
authors.forename: Shuji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Uematsu
authors.forename: Kunihiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shiraga
authors.forename: Ryoichi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.forename: Ryo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Harada
authors.forename: Shoko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takayama
authors.forename: Wakako
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kawai
authors.forename: Shigeru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ueki
authors.forename: Nobuaki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Okano
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakagawa
authors.forename: Motowo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mizuno
authors.forename: Yasuyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Araki
authors.forename: Yasushi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shiratori
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009365:Neoplasm Regression, Spontaneous; D014812:Vitamin K / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D014812:Vitamin K