title: Spontaneous regression of a large hepatocellular carcinoma: case report.
abstract: The prognosis of untreated advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is grim with a median survival of less than 6 months. Spontaneous regression of HCC has been defined as the disappearance of the hepatic lesions in the absence of any specific therapy. The spontaneous regression of a very large HCC is very rare and limited data is available in the English literature. We describe spontaneous regression of hepatocellular carcinoma in a 65-year-old male who presented to our clinic with vague abdominal pain and weight loss of two months duration. He was found to have multiple hepatic lesions with elevation of serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level to 6,500 µg/L (normal <20 µg/L). Computed tomography revealed advanced HCC replacing almost 80% of the right hepatic lobe. Without any intervention the patient showed gradual improvement over a period of few months. Follow-up CT scan revealed disappearance of hepatic lesions with progressive decline of AFP levels to normal. Various mechanisms have been postulated to explain this rare phenomenon, but the exact mechanism remains a mystery.
authors.affiliation: Liver Unit, London Health Sciences Centre, Ontario, Canada. aalqutub@gmail.com
authors.forename: Adel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alqutub
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Peck
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Marotta
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D012075:Remission, Spontaneous; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins