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CASE REPORT
Complete radiographic remission with 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin after sorafenib failure in hepatocellular carcinoma: Is there a role for chemotherapy after targeted agents?
  1. Jocelyn Tan-Shalaby
  1. Section of Hematology Oncology, Veteran Affairs Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
  1. Correspondence to Dr Jocelyn Tan-Shalaby, jocelyntanmd{at}gmail.com

Summary

A 57-year-old Caucasian man with a history of Child’s class A hepatitis C, cirrhosis and progressive multifocal hepatocellular carcinoma was treated with sorafenib but progressed after 7 months of stable disease. At progression he was given salvage chemotherapy consisting of 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin and went into complete radiographic remission after 12 cycles of treatment. He did develop a portal vein thrombosis but nevertheless his hepatic lesions continued to resolve. Throughout his therapy α-fetoprotein (AFP) levels decreased only minimally. He did not seek retreatment after 14 cycles of chemotherapy and presented 3 months later with relapsed disease on CT scans with markedly elevated AFP levels. He received one more chemotherapy cycle but was unable to tolerate further treatment, succumbing to his disease 3 months thereafter, and a total of 29 months after he was deemed a sorafenib failure.

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