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CC BY 4.0 · Journal of Gastrointestinal and Abdominal Radiology
DOI: 10.1055/s-0045-1807259
Case Report

Now You See It, Now You Don't!—Spontaneous Complete Necrosis and Reappearance of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Akhil Baby
1   Division of Hepatobiliary Interventional Radiology, Center of Excellence in GI Sciences, Rajagiri Hospital, Kochi, Kerala, India
,
Shubham Suryavanshi
1   Division of Hepatobiliary Interventional Radiology, Center of Excellence in GI Sciences, Rajagiri Hospital, Kochi, Kerala, India
,
Cyriac Abby Philips
2   Center of Excellence in GI Sciences, Rajagiri Hospital, Kochi, Kerala, India
,
Tharun Tom Ooommen
2   Center of Excellence in GI Sciences, Rajagiri Hospital, Kochi, Kerala, India
,
Philip Augustine
2   Center of Excellence in GI Sciences, Rajagiri Hospital, Kochi, Kerala, India
,
Sasidharan Rajesh 
1   Division of Hepatobiliary Interventional Radiology, Center of Excellence in GI Sciences, Rajagiri Hospital, Kochi, Kerala, India
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Abstract

Spontaneous regression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a rare phenomenon caused by complex multifactorial mechanisms. We report the case of a 76-year-old male with a history of chronic liver disease and HCC who experienced complete spontaneous tumor regression followed by recurrence. The regression may have been triggered by ischemia from portal vein thrombosis and systemic inflammation. Key mechanisms behind spontaneous regression include tumor hypoxia and immune responses. This case highlights the complexity of spontaneous regression and its potential role in developing novel cancer therapies.

Keywords

ischemia - hypoxia - cirrhosis - thrombus - cytokine - immune


Publication History

Article published online:
02 April 2025

© 2025. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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