Five years and 4 months of recurrence-free survival in hepatic angiosarcoma

Abstract

A 54-year-old woman was referred with the diagnosis of hepatic angiosarcoma, made by percutaneous biopsy under ultrasonographic guidance. Ultrasonography (US) had revealed a 48 × 42 × 35 mm mass in the right lobe. Standard biochemical tests and whole blood count had yielded normal results. At our institution, magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a hypervascular mass in the right lobe. Alpha-fetoprotein, carcinoembryonic antigen, and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 levels were normal. Serological tests were negative for hepatitis B and C viruses. There was no evidence of metastasis. A right hepatectomy was performed. Histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of angiosarcoma. However, there was a suspicion of microscopically positive margins. Relaparotomy and resection of a 1-cm-thick slice of hepatic parenchyma was performed. Histopathological examination revealed necrotic tumor cells at the previous margin. The new surgical margin was tumor free. Due to the expected poor prognosis, prophylactic chemoembolization of the remnant liver (lipiodol + adriamycin + mitomycin) was performed at 3 and 7 months postoperatively. She has been alive without recurrence for 5 years and 4 months. Hepatic angiosarcoma has two distinct presentations: multiple tumors and a solitary tumor. The reported poor results largely stem from the predominance of the multiple tumors and consequent unresectability. Long-term survival is possible in solitary resectable hepatic angiosarcomas.