Spontaneous Regression Of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Myth Or Reality?

We present a case of a 68-year-old man with chronic hepatitis C infection, with no evidence of chronic liver disease during the first years of follow-up, diagnosed with a hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with 40mm (alpha -fetoprotein (AFP) 205ng/mL). He underwent segmental liver resection and pathology analysis was consistent with HCC and cirrhosis in the adjacent liver. Four months after surgery, AFP raised up to 126661ng/mL and abdominal MRI revealed a multinodular HCC. Patient rejected treatment with sorafenib and started megestrol and an herbal medicine, soursop (Annona muricata). Six months later, AFP markedly decreased (28ng/mL) and abdominal MRI showed decreasing size and number of lesions. At 5years of follow-up, he has no evidence of HCC. Spontaneous regression of HCC is a rare condition and the underlying mechanism is unclear. In this case there is a temporal relation between the start of megestrol and Annona muricata and HCC regression.