Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Heart Involvement

• Main Authors: Ying-Tzu Huang, Chia-Jui Yen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2014-09-01
• Series: Journal of Cancer Research and Practice
• Subjects: hepatocellular carcinoma; heart involvement; tumor thrombus
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2311300616300404

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with heart involvement is uncommon. Herein, we report a 58-year-old male with advanced HCC and right atrium involvement. The patient's HCC was detected accidentally by routine image follow-up because he lacked typical signs of right heart failure and had not suffered any thromboembolic event. Review of the patient's image study revealed that the tumor, with associated thrombus, extended from the liver through the inferior vena cava into the right atrium. He refused surgical intervention, received self-paid Sorafenib and then underwent 3 cycles of clinical trial. He finally died of progressive disease 8 months after diagnosis. Following review of the literature regarding the clinical features, management, and outcomes of HCC with heart involvement, we concluded that HCC with heart involvement strongly portends a poor prognosis.