pISSN 3022-6783
eISSN 3022-7712

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Korean J Transplant 2023; 37(1): 69-75

Published online March 31, 2023

https://doi.org/10.4285/kjt.22.0054

© The Korean Society for Transplantation

Posttransplant sequential adrenal and spine metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma responsive to combined regorafenib and radiotherapy: a case report

Jae-Yoon Kim1 , Nam-Joon Yi1 , Yoon Jun Kim2 , Eui Kyu Chie3 , Jiyoung Kim1 , Hyun Hwa Choi1 , Jaewon Lee1 , Sola Lee1 , Su Young Hong1 , Jeong-Moo Lee1 , Suk Kyun Hong1 , YoungRok Choi1 , Kwang-Woong Lee1 , Kyung-Suk Suh1

1Department of Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
2Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
3Department of Radiation Oncology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

Correspondence to: Nam-Joon Yi
Department of Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 101 Daehak-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul 03080, Korea
E-mail: gsleenj@snu.ac.kr

Received: November 10, 2022; Revised: December 12, 2022; Accepted: December 31, 2022

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Adrenal and spinal metastases of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are rare entities with significant morbidity and mortality, particularly after liver transplantation (LT). We report a case of a 49-year-old man who underwent LT for hepatitis B-related end-stage liver disease and HCC (single 4.5 cm lesion [T1N0], without vascular invasion) in 2016. Eighteen months later, adrenal metastasis and hepatitis B seropositive conversion were developed with normal serum tumor. Adrenal metastasis was treated with radiation therapy (RT) and hepatitis B showed spontaneous seronegative conversion. However, 35 months later, spinal metastasis occurred with elevation of the protein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist-II (PIVKA-II) level (197 mAU/mL), along with hepatitis B seropositive conversion. After sorafenib, sequential regorafenib with RT led to partial response of the spinal lesions, along with hepatitis B seronegative conversion and normal PIVKA-II levels. After 9 months of regorafenib combined with RT, two recurrent lesions were found, as well as hepatitis B seropositive conversion and lesions were treated with transarterial chemoembolization. The patient survived for more than 71 months after LT and 53 months after recurrence under various combinations of therapy. Combined systemic and locoregional therapies can be a treatment option for HCC recurrence, even in LT patients.

Keywords: Regorafenib, Radiotherapy, Sorafenib, Mortality, Case reports

HIGHLIGHTS
  • Hepatitis B seropositive conversion is related to recurrence.

  • Combined systemic and locoregional therapies can be a treatment option for hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence, even in liver transplantation patients.