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Long-term complete response to lenvatinib in a patient with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma

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Abstract

A 36-year-old man had been diagnosed with a solitary hepatocellular carcinoma in the right lobe of the liver by computed tomography, and right hemihepatectomy was performed 16 years previously. Approximately 13 years later, he underwent partial hepatectomy because of intrahepatic recurrence in segment 4. Multinodular intrahepatic recurrences in the remnant liver were identified 19 months after repeat hepatectomy, and he underwent transcatheter arterial chemoembolization therapy. Ultimately, six transcatheter arterial chemoembolization therapies were required because of multiple repeat multinodular intrahepatic recurrences. The patient was refractory to transcatheter arterial chemoembolization, and therefore, he participated in a trial of lenvatinib monotherapy. At lenvatinib initiation, his liver function was Child–Pugh class A. Enhanced abdominal computed tomography detected four tumors in the remnant liver. Enhanced abdominal computed tomography findings at the first evaluation showed no residual contrast uptake on arterial phase images, corresponding to a complete response according to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors at 4 months after initiation of lenvatinib. The patient was able to continue long-term lenvatinib therapy with well-controlled general health, and he maintained a complete response for two years and three months. Here, we describe his clinical course and radiological results during lenvatinib monotherapy.

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All authors revised the manuscript, approved the manuscript to be published, and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Hirakata Hospital, Kansai Medical University, 2-3-1 Shinmachi, Hirakata, Osaka, 573-1191, Japan

    Morihiko Ishizaki, Masaki Kaibori, Hideyuki Matsushima, Hisashi Kosaka, Kosuke Matsui & Mitsugu Sekimoto

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  1. Morihiko Ishizaki
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  2. Masaki Kaibori
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  3. Hideyuki Matsushima
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  4. Hisashi Kosaka
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  5. Kosuke Matsui
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  6. Mitsugu Sekimoto
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Contributions

MI designed, performed and edited this study. MK and MS edited the manuscript and supervised. HM, HK and KM worked on data acquisition and interpretation of data.

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Correspondence to Morihiko Ishizaki.

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Morihiko Ishizaki, Masaki Kaibori, Hideyuki Matsushima, Hisashi Kosaka, Kosuke Matsui, and Mitsugu Sekimoto, declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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All procedures followed have been performed in accordance with the ethical standards laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments.

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Informed consent was obtained from all patients for being included in the study.

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Ishizaki, M., Kaibori, M., Matsushima, H. et al. Long-term complete response to lenvatinib in a patient with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma. Clin J Gastroenterol 14, 1700–1705 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12328-021-01506-3

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