[A successful treatment using SMANCS-TAE for hepatocellular carcinoma with tumor thrombus in the portal trunk].

A 62-year-old man was admitted to our hospital for treatment of HCC with a thrombus growing from the right branch to the trunk of the portal vein. His hepatic functional reserve was fairly good. Serum levels of AFP and PIVKA-II were elevated to 1,780 ng/ml and 27 AU-ml, respectively. The hepatic arteriogram showed a hypervascular tumor approximately 4 cm in diameter in the right anterior segment and many ill-defined small tumor stains around the main tumor. Portal phase of superior mesenteric arteriogram revealed filling defect in the portal trunk, and no visualization of the right branch of portal vein. SMANCS-Lipiodol was infused via right hepatic artery, and Spongel was infused via right anterior branch of hepatic artery. Three months after the first therapy, the tumor markers normalized. A computed tomography scan showed that the main tumor and the tumor thrombus were markedly decreased in size, whereas the hepatic angiogram revealed tumor stains around the main tumor. SMANCS-Lipiodol was again infused via proper hepatic artery. He has remained well for 16 months after the first treatment. The combination of the arterial infusion of SMANCS-Lipiodol with the selective TAE was very effective for this case, probably because his hepatic functional reserve was fairly good and the left branch of portal vein was patent. It was suggested that SMANCS-Lipiodol with the selective TAE could be one therapy to be considered for a patient like this case.