Characteristics of the portal vein thrombosis recurrence pattern without liver parenchymal invasion from colorectal cancer: a case report

Modeling Colorectal Cancer-Induced Liver Portal Vein Microthrombus on a Hepatic Lobule Chip

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors. At the advanced stage of colorectal cancer, cancer cells migrate with the blood to the liver from the hepatic portal vein, eventually resulting in a portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT). To date, the progression of the early onset of PVTT [portal vein microthrombus (PVmT) induced by tumors] is unclear. Herein, we developed an on-chip PVmT model by loading the spheroid of colorectal cancer cells into the portal vein of a hepatic lobule chip (HLC). On the HLC, the progression of PVmT was presented, and early changes in metabolites of hepatic cells and in structures of hepatic plates and sinusoids induced by PVmT were analyzed. We replicated intrahepatic angiogenesis, thickened blood vessels, an increased number of hepatocytes, disordered hepatic plates, and decreased concentrations of biomarkers of hepatic cell functions in PVmT progression on a microfluidic chip for the first time. In addition, the combined therapy of thermo-ablation and chemo-drug for PVmT was preliminarily demonstrated. This study provides a promising method for understanding PVTT evolution and offers a valuable reference for PVTT therapy.

Portal vein thrombosis after cetuximab and 5-fluorouracil therapy in a patient with advanced colon cancer and decompensated cirrhosis: a case report and review of the literature

BACKGROUND

Treatment options for advanced colon cancer are mainly combinations of chemotherapy and targeted drugs. However, poor physical health and medication intolerance limit the choice of anticancer drugs. Colon cancer with cirrhosis is a particular patient group that poses a challenge to clinical treatment.

CASE PRESENTATION

This article presents a case of a patient in the decompensated stage of cirrhosis who was diagnosed with advanced colon cancer. The initial presentation was a nodule on his navel named the Sister Mary Joseph's nodule, which was later confirmed by biopsy and PET-CT as one of the metastases of colon cancer. The patient was treated with cetuximab and 5-fluorouracil at a below-guideline dose; however, portal vein thrombosis developed and led to death. This entire process, from diagnosis to death, occurred within a span of three months.

CONCLUSION

Cancers with cirrhosis are a special group that deserves more attention. There is no unified treatment guideline for these patients, especially those with extrahepatic primary tumors. We should be more cautious when choosing treatment for such patients in the future. Both chemotherapy and targeted treatment may potentially induce portal vein thrombosis, which appears to have a higher incidence and worse prognosis than cancers without cirrhosis.

Hepatectomy for liver metastases from cervical cancer with portal vein tumor thrombosis: a case report

The prognosis of patients with liver metastasis of cervical cancer is poor with an extremely short survival period, and there have been no reports of cervical cancer complicated by portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT). We report a case of cervical cancer developing liver metastasis with PVTT. A 49-year-old woman developed liver metastasis from cervical cancer with PVTT. The primary tumor was locally controlled with multidisciplinary treatment, including systemic therapy, surgical resection, and radiation. However, her follow-up abdominal computed tomography results showed two irregular tumors in the liver's segments 2 and 6. From the latter lesion, a low-density filling defect extended to the posterior branch of the portal vein, suggesting PVTT. Hepatectomy of the two metastases was performed to prevent portal vein obstruction during subsequent chemotherapy. Pathological analysis revealed metastatic squamous cell carcinoma from cervical cancer that developed a tumor thrombus at the posterior branch of the portal vein. The patient received adjuvant chemotherapy, but died 10 months after surgery for recurrent liver metastasis. We present the first case of liver resection for liver metastasis from cervical cancer with PVTT. Although cervical cancer with PVTT is associated with a poor prognosis, surgical resection is a feasible option for preventing portal vein obstruction during subsequent chemotherapy.