title: Successful treatment of metastatic hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma with thalidomide: a case report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma is a rare malignancy arising from the vascular endothelial cells within the liver. Historically, the disease is characterized as being poorly responsive to both chemotherapy and radiotherapy, with liver resection or transplantation the treatment of choice when feasible. For patients with advanced disease, reports of long-term therapeutic benefits from conventional cytotoxic treatments are very limited. Owing to the rarity of this malignancy, there is no structured therapeutic research, but a small number of cases have been reported to respond well to treatment with inhibitors of angiogenesis. Thalidomide was originally developed as an anti-emetic but is a potent inhibitor of vascular neogenesis, and could offer potential in the treatment of hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma by blocking the proliferation of the malignant vascular endothelial cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  We describe the case of a Caucasian British woman who presented at the age of 53 years with a hepatic mass, malignant lymphadenopathy and pulmonary metastases, which were confirmed as hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma on biopsy. After unproductive treatment with interferon, our patient was started on thalidomide 400 mg daily. She has been successfully managed on this therapy for the past seven years, and has remained asymptomatic, with radiologically stable disease and minimal treatment-related side effects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  At present, there is no standard therapy for advanced hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma. Our case supports the role for thalidomide and potentially other inhibitors of vascular neogenesis in the treatment of patients with metastatic hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Charing Cross Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust London W6 8RF, UK. philip.savage@imperial.nhs.uk.
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Raphael
authors.forename: Emma
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hudson
authors.forename: Leslie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Jason F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Lester
authors.forename: Philip M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Savage