Survival after Sorafenib Treatment for Advanced Recurrent Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Tumor Thrombus in the Inferior Vena Cava

A 72-year-old man with chronic viral hepatitis type B undergoing surgery for hepatocellular carcinoma was found to have a recurrent tumor in the left liver with peritoneal dissemination near the inferior vena cava(IVC)and tumor thrombus in the IVC. For this patient diagnosed with Barcelona clinic liver cancer (BCLC) classification stage C hepatocellular carcinoma, we initiated 800 mg/body sorafenib. Two weeks after the initiation of sorafenib, the patient experienced grade 3 hand-foot syndrome, after which, the dose of sorafenib was reduced to 400 mg/body. After 1 year, CT showed an enlarged tumor in the left liver and multiple metastases to the lung. However, no remarkable difference was observed in the peritoneal dissemination and the tumor thrombus. He has been receiving sorafenib for 19 months with a good quality of life. Sorafenib can be provided on an outpatient basis and it may facilitate long-term survival for patients with advanced recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma with IVC tumor thrombus. This clinical condition is very rare, and the standard treatment for it still has not been established.