[A Case of Successful Drug-Eluting Microsphere Transcatheter Arterial Embolization for Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Associated Tumor Thrombus in the Inferior Vena Cava and Right Atrium].

Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)with severe vascular invasion has a dismal prognosis, and there is no well-established effective therapy. We report an 84-year-old man who benefited from multiple transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE)treatments for advanced HCC with severe vascular invasion. Initial CT revealed a recurrent, poorly differentiated HCC with tumor thrombus in the inferior vena cava(IVC)and right atrium(Vv3). Two cycles of TACE with 5-FU, DOC, MMC, and superabsorbent polymer microspheres(SAP-MS)with BV resulted in considerable reduction of the tumor thrombus. Tumor markers(PIVKA- / / II)showed remarkable improvement(from 3,803 mAU/mL to 673 mAU/mL). The patient has been alive for 25 months following the appearance of tumor thrombus in the IVC. This case suggests that, in patients with tumor thrombi due to hepatocellular carcinoma, thrombus control and long-term survival are achievable with TACE.