High-intensity focused ultrasound combined with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization and radiotherapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: A case report

INTRODUCTION: Primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies, only 10% to 20% of HCC patients are surgically resectable as most of the patients are diagnosed at advanced stages at presentation. The efficiencies of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE), high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), and three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT) in patients with advanced HCC have been clinically confirmed. We here report a patient with HCC accompanied by venous tumor thrombus, who was treated with the combination of these 3 therapies. The patient survived for 16 months with good quality of life. PATIENT CONCERNS: The patient was a 72-year-old male with a primary multicentric HCC accompanied by tumor thrombus in the right hepatic vein. The patient had the symptoms of abdominal distention and liver pain. He refused sorafenib treatment because of personal reason. DIAGNOSIS: Primary multicentric HCC stage IIIB cT4N0M0, accompanied by tumor thrombus in the right hepatic vein; chronic viral hepatitis B; and hepatitis B virus-related decompensated liver cirrhosis. INTERVENTIONS: TACE + HIFU + 3D-CRT. OUTCOMES: The patient had an overall survival of 16 months with good quality of life. Compared with monotherapy, the combined therapy significantly prolonged patient survival time with improved clinical benefits. CONCLUSION: The combination of TACE, HIFU, and 3D-CRT is safe and effective in the treatment of advanced HCC, which provides a possible comprehensive treatment strategy for advanced HCC.