Primary hepatic angiosarcoma: A report of two cases and literature review

World J Gastroenterol. 2015 May 21;21(19):6088-96. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v21.i19.6088.

Abstract

Primary hepatic angiosarcoma (PHA) is a rare malignancy that carries a poor prognosis. Of 1500 patients who underwent hepatectomy for primary hepatic tumors between 1994 and 2013 at our center, two patients were pathologically diagnosed with PHA. Clinical characteristics, treatment modalities, and outcomes of the two patients were collected and analyzed. Both patients underwent hepatectomy and had a postoperative survival time of 8 and 16 mo, respectively. A search of PubMed yielded eight references reporting 35 cases of PHA published between 2004 and 2013. On the basis of the presented cases and review of the literature, we endorse complete surgical resection as the mainstay definitive treatment of PHA, with adjuvant postoperative chemotherapy potentially improving survival. Palliative chemotherapy is an option in advanced hepatic angiosarcoma.

Keywords: Diagnosis; Hemangiosarcoma; Liver; Surgery; Therapy.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Biomarkers, Tumor / analysis
  • Biopsy
  • Chemoembolization, Therapeutic
  • Chemotherapy, Adjuvant
  • Fatal Outcome
  • Female
  • Hemangiosarcoma* / chemistry
  • Hemangiosarcoma* / pathology
  • Hemangiosarcoma* / surgery
  • Hepatectomy
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Liver Neoplasms* / chemistry
  • Liver Neoplasms* / pathology
  • Liver Neoplasms* / surgery
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Time Factors
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Biomarkers, Tumor