[A long-survival case of hepatocellular carcinoma treated by intra-arterial chemotherapy and immunotherapy].

Hepatic resection is generally considered to be superior to any other therapeutic procedures for hepatocellular carcinoma (H.C.C.). However, the resectability of the patients who have HCC. with liver cirrhosis is still low, and surgery is appropriate in only a minority of patients. Although some successful reports of intra-arterial chemotherapy for HCC. have been documented, most of the therapeutic effects are transient and the survival rate is not satisfactory. This report is of a rare case, that of a long-term survivor with HCC treated by intra-arterial chemotherapy and immunotherapy. A 66-year-old man, with a 10-year history of liver cirrhosis was admitted to The Center for Adult Diseases, Osaka, after detection of a tumor in the right lobe on US. On admission, serum AFP was within normal range, HBs-Ag was negative, and ICG-R 15 was 20.8%. On hepatic angiogram, a hypervascular tumor (6 cm in size) was recognized in the middle of the right lobe. He was assessed as unresectable because of insufficient reserve capacity, and the catheterization of the hepatic artery for intra-arterial chemotherapy and the injection 35 KE of OK-432 into the tumor were carried out under laparotomy. After the procedure, the patient was treated by intra-arterial infusion of doxorubicin (ADR) at a total dose of 150 mg and 5-FU in total dose of 25 g, with a hypodermic injection of OK-432 at a total dose of 161 KE. Hepatic angiography, carried out one year after the procedure, disclosed no foci in the liver. The duration of complete remission continued more than 5 years. The patient eventually died of intrahepatic recurrence, but he lived for 7 years and 3 months after the catheterization.