The Open Surgery Journal

2010, 4 : 1-6
Published online 2010 July 23. DOI: 10.2174/1874300501004010001
Publisher ID: TOSJ-4-1

Long-Term Survival of a Patient with a Large Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Theodore Karatzas , John Maroulis , Dionysios Karavias , Theodoros Xanthos and Theodoros Petsas
2nd Propedeutic Department of Surgery, University of Athens, Medical School, Athens, Greece.

ABSTRACT

Amongst therapies for unresectable hepatocellular carcinomas, radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and hepatic artery chemoembolization have clinical application either for local tumor destruction or to control tumor progression and recurrence rate. Herein we present a patient with a large hepatocellular carcinoma, chronic hepatitis B and congenital absence of left hepatic lobe treated with hepatic artery chemoembolization, multiple RFA sessions and transarterial chemoembolizations resulted in long-term survival far beyond actual expected survival rate, while preserving quality of life.