Zhang L, Xiao P, Shi LD, Chen KX, Bing YF. Hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma with obstructive jaundice: A case report and review of literature. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2026; 18(1): 113681 [PMID: 41607740 DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.v18.i1.113681]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Pan Xiao, MD, Research Fellow, Department of Minimally Invasive Interventional Radiology, Guilin People’s Hospital, No. 12 Wenming Road, Xiangshan District, Guilin 541000, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. xp13807836988@163.com
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Gastroenterology & Hepatology
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Case Report
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This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (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: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Jan 15, 2026 (publication date) through Feb 2, 2026
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World Journal of Gastrointestinal Oncology
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Zhang L, Xiao P, Shi LD, Chen KX, Bing YF. Hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma with obstructive jaundice: A case report and review of literature. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2026; 18(1): 113681 [PMID: 41607740 DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.v18.i1.113681]
World J Gastrointest Oncol. Jan 15, 2026; 18(1): 113681 Published online Jan 15, 2026. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.v18.i1.113681
Hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma with obstructive jaundice: A case report and review of literature
Li Zhang, Pan Xiao, Lian-Dong Shi, Ke-Xin Chen, You-Fu Bing
Li Zhang, Pan Xiao, Lian-Dong Shi, Ke-Xin Chen, You-Fu Bing, Department of Minimally Invasive Interventional Radiology, Guilin People’s Hospital, Guilin 541000, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China
Author contributions: Zhang L and Chen KX contributed to manuscript writing and editing, and data collection; Shi LD and Bin YF contributed to data analysis; Xiao P contributed to conceptualization and supervision; all authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
Informed consent statement: All study participants, or their legal guardian, provided informed written consent prior to study enrollment.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
CARE Checklist (2016) statement: The authors have read the CARE Checklist (2016), and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the CARE Checklist (2016).
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: Pan Xiao, MD, Research Fellow, Department of Minimally Invasive Interventional Radiology, Guilin People’s Hospital, No. 12 Wenming Road, Xiangshan District, Guilin 541000, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. xp13807836988@163.com
Received: September 7, 2025 Revised: October 22, 2025 Accepted: November 17, 2025 Published online: January 15, 2026 Processing time: 128 Days and 17.2 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major type of liver cancer worldwide. In advanced stages, portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT) and jaundice are common, whereas obstructive jaundice (OJ) is relatively rare. Both conditions markedly reduce survival and increase therapeutic complexity. Recently, hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) in combination with targeted immunotherapy has shown promise for advanced HCC.
CASE SUMMARY
We report a 47-year-old male with advanced HCC complicated by PVTT and OJ, who was admitted with marked jaundice of the skin and sclera. Imaging revealed a large hepatic mass (14.5 cm × 11.3 cm) in the right lobe with associated portal vein tumor thrombus. The tertiary bile duct was only mildly dilated, making percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography drainage infeasible. The patient underwent reduced-dose HAIC, which resulted in significant tumor shrinkage and marked reduction in serum bilirubin. This improvement enabled sequential treatment with lenvatinib and camrelizumab. After six cycles, both liver function and alpha-fetoprotein levels improved. The patient achieved a progression-free survival of 20 months and an overall survival of 29 months.
CONCLUSION
HAIC can treat high-bilirubin HCC with PVTT and OJ, allowing for subsequent targeted immunotherapy.
Core Tip: Hepatocellular carcinoma with portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT) and obstructive jaundice is rare and generally carries a poor prognosis. In this case, hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) followed by targeted immunotherapy achieved significant tumor shrinkage, improved bilirubin levels, and regression of PVTT. The patient attained 20 months of progression-free survival and 29 months of overall survival, indicating that HAIC conversion therapy followed by targeted immunotherapy may provide an effective option when biliary drainage is not feasible.
