A Case of needle-tract implantation of hepatocellular carcinoma in the ovary after radiofrequency ablation

Long-term survival of 11 years with multidisciplinary therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma metastasis to the ovary and peritoneum: a case report

We herein report a rare case of HCC metastases to the ovary and peritoneum in a 61-year-old female patient who has achieved 11-year survival with multidisciplinary therapy. The patient was diagnosed with HCC during balloon angioplasty performed for Budd-Chiari syndrome in 1994 and underwent partial hepatectomy twice. Five years after the second hepatectomy, allochronic recurrence of a single nodule detected in S8 was treated by radiofrequency ablation, followed by percutaneous ethanol injection therapy and stereotactic body radiotherapy. However, her α-fetoprotein level rose to 1862 ng/mL within one year and computed tomography revealed a large pelvic tumor suggesting HCC metastasis to the ovary. The subsequent laparotomy revealed one 11-cm left ovarian tumor, one small right ovarian nodule, and numerous peritoneal nodules. Bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and peritoneal resection of as many nodules as possible were performed. Combination therapy with intravenous 5-fluorouracil plus cisplatin and ramucirumab monotherapy effectively suppressed tumor progression with maintenance of hepatic functional reserve, and she has achieved long-term survival of 11 years, illustrating that multidisciplinary therapy with favorable hepatic functional reserve maintenance can contribute to long-term survival in HCC with extrahepatic spread.