Letter to the Editor
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Clin Cases. Oct 6, 2024; 12(28): 6241-6243
Published online Oct 6, 2024. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v12.i28.6241
Conversion therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma to improve treatment strategies for intermediate and advanced stages
Antonio Giorgio, Massimo De Luca
Antonio Giorgio, Athena Clinic Center, Via Matese, Piedimonte Matese (CE) 81016, Campania, Italy
Massimo De Luca, Liver Unit, AORN Cardarelli, Via A. Cardarelli, Napoli 80131, Campania, Italy
Co-first authors: Antonio Giorgio and Massimo De Luca.
Author contributions: Giorgio A and De Luca M conceived the presented idea, performed the study, and wrote the manuscript. Based on their equal knowledge of the clinical problem and bibliographical research, both authors merit co-first authorship.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Antonio Giorgio, MD, Chief Doctor, Athena Clinic Center, Via Matese 90, Piedimonte Matese (CE) 81016, Campania, Italy. agiorgio28@gmail.com
Received: May 13, 2024
Revised: July 14, 2024
Accepted: August 1, 2024
Published online: October 6, 2024
Processing time: 91 Days and 10.8 Hours
Abstract

This manuscript is based on a case reported by Song et al published in the World Journal of Clinical Cases. Several challenges remain in the field of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) conversion therapy. Consequently, only a limited number of patients with HCC accompanied by portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT) and hepatic vein tumor thrombosis (HVTT) are eligible for resection. This clinical case demonstrates that considering the complexity of the disease, a multimodal and multidisciplinary approach is essential for managing HCC accompanied by PVTT and HVTT. However, the outcomes of such surgeries remain controversial. In conclusion, research on HCC conversion therapy is extremely useful for improving treatment strategies for intermediate and advanced HCC, which currently have disappointing clinical outcomes.

Keywords: Hepatocellular carcinoma, Portal vein, Inferior vena cava, Tumor thrombus, Conversion surgery

Core Tip: Hepatocellular carcinoma accompanied by portal vein tumor thrombus and inferior vena cava tumor thrombus can be converted to surgical resection after multimodality and multidisciplinary treatments.