Hepatocellular carcinoma responding to chemotherapy with 5-FU

A 69-year-old man with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma and portal vei n tumor thrombus was treated by chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil. A dose of 500 mg/day of 5-fluorouracil was continuously administered via a central v enous catheter. After 4 months, the alpha-fetoprotein level was decreased f rom 50,000ng/mL to 4,760ng/mL. Computed tomography revealed disappearance o f the low-density area in the liver parenchyma, but the portal vein tumor t hrombus was not changed. After 6 months, pancytopenia appeared and continuous infusion of 5-fluorour acil was stopped. After 8 months, the patient died of pneumonia, at which t ime the alpha-fetoprotein level was 12,000ngimL. Continuous intravenous infusion of 5-Fluorouracil was effective against unr esectable primary hepatocellular carcinoma, but had little influence on por tal vein tumor thrombus.