Patient in His 70s with End-Stage Liver Cancer Improves After Hepatic Arterial Infusion Chemotherapy at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital

Liver cancer marker drops from 56,000 to 3.1 after five rounds of treatment
Immunotherapy and targeted therapy difficult due to extensive tumor invasion and impaired liver function
Hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy administered following multidisciplinary consultation

A man in his 70s who had been living a healthy life sought medical care for sudden abdominal pain and was diagnosed with advanced liver cancer. After receiving hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, his liver function and overall clinical condition improved.

Seoul St. Mary's Hospital announced on November 3 that Mr. Cho, 77, who was treated at its Liver Cancer Center, saw his alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level, a liver cancer tumor marker, fall from 56,000 to 3.1 after five rounds of chemotherapy.

Mr. Cho worked in livestock farming in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, and had been living a healthy life. However, he sought medical care early this year after experiencing sudden abdominal pain and swelling. He was advised that cirrhosis was suspected and that he needed to be treated at a tertiary general hospital, so he visited Seoul St. Mary's Hospital in February.

Professor Jang Jeongwon (left), head of the Liver Cancer Center at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, and a patient whose liver function recovered through chemotherapy without surgery after being diagnosed with end-stage liver cancer. Seoul St. Mary's Hospital

Detailed examinations showed that cancer cells occupied most of the right lobe of his liver and had spread to the left lobe. The cancer had also extensively invaded blood vessels in both portal veins, and he had ascites and severely impaired liver function. The tumor's extensive reach, invasion of major blood vessels, and severe liver dysfunction made immunotherapy and targeted therapy difficult to use. As a result, deciding on a treatment plan was also challenging.

Professor Jang Jeongwon, a gastroenterologist and head of the Liver Cancer Center, consulted with the center's medical team in a multidisciplinary discussion and decided to administer hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC). In this treatment, a chemotherapy infusion port is placed under the skin and connected by a catheter to the hepatic artery, allowing the drugs to be delivered directly to the liver. The method concentrates chemotherapy in the liver to treat the tumor while reducing the body's overall exposure to the drugs.

Hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy requires hospitalization and ongoing care by medical staff, as well as substantial staffing and equipment. It is now performed at relatively few medical institutions, as immunotherapy that can be administered on an outpatient basis and oral targeted therapies are widely used. However, it can be an alternative for patients who cannot receive immunotherapy or targeted therapy, or for whom these treatments are unlikely to be sufficiently effective. The Liver Cancer Center at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital uses this treatment after comprehensively considering each patient's tumor status and liver function.

Mr. Cho continued receiving hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy and visited the hospital on October 23, after his fifth round of treatment, to assess the results. Blood tests showed that his AFP level, which had risen to 56,000 at diagnosis, had fallen to 3.1. His ascites and edema had also resolved, and he had no jaundice. His overall clinical condition improved, with his albumin level, which helps assess the liver's ability to synthesize proteins and nutritional status, rising from 2.7 to 3.5. However, he still needs further treatment and follow-up monitoring.

Even while hospitalized, Mr. Cho made time to attend and cheer on his middle-school-aged granddaughter at her judo matches. His granddaughter, Cho Seoyeon, took first place at the National Junior Sports Festival, bringing joy to her grandfather.

His second son, who has been involved in his father's care and nursing, said, "I remember my father saying after he was diagnosed with end-stage liver cancer, 'I have to see Seoyeon become a member of the national team. This is a disaster.' My father had never touched a drop of alcohol in his life, and when he was suddenly diagnosed with end-stage liver cancer, I spent a difficult time blaming myself and wondering whether I had caused him so much stress that he became seriously ill." He added, "I sincerely thank Professor Jang Jeongwon and the medical team for giving me more time to show my father how much I care for him."

Professor Jang said, "When he first came to us, his condition was so poor that it was difficult even to discuss his life expectancy, and we were very concerned. Fortunately, after treatment, his ascites and edema resolved, and many of his test results improved considerably. I am delighted." She added, "As a member of the medical team, I feel deeply rewarded that we achieved a meaningful result for a patient and family who approached the treatment process with a positive and proactive attitude."

Seoul St. Mary's Hospital opened a liver clinic in 1996 and later expanded its care system into a Liver Cancer Center. Its multidisciplinary care system brings together specialists in gastroenterology, hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery, abdominal and interventional radiology, radiation oncology, pathology, and medical oncology. The hospital provides liver cancer treatment tailored to each patient, taking into account liver function, overall health, and the extent of tumor progression.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.