[Evaluation of radiotherapy for bone and lymph node metastasis in post-operative hepatocellular carcinoma--three case reports].

Successful radiotherapy was performed for three post-operative hepatocellular carcinoma patients, two with bone metastases and one with lymph node metastasis. One patient had severe high back pain and paraplesia caused by spinal compression with bone metastasis on 5th thoracic vertebra. After a total of 45 Gy irradiations, the back pain was removed, and 9 months later the patient recovered from the paraplesia gradually and could start rehabilitation. A second patient with multiple bone metastases was very concerned about skull metastasis and severe headache. Radiation reduced the headache and the tumor vanished. A third patient with cervical lymph node metastasis was irradiated. The size of the lymph node was decreased but did not disappear. We concluded that radiotherapy for distant metastases (ie, bone, skin) in a hepatocellular carcinoma patient, can be an effective therapeutic procedure for patient complaints.