A rare case of hepatic sarcomatoid carcinoma: exceeding expectations in a stage IV primary hepatic sarcomatoid carcinoma patient

A 41-year-old man was admitted to the hepatobiliary surgery department of West China Hospital for right upper abdominal pain lasting for more than three months. The local hospital's abdominal computed tomography (CT) showed an unclear low density shadow in the right and lateral lobes of the liver and nodules on the abdominal wall. A histologic analysis of an ultrasound guided percutaneous hepatic biopsy revealed it was hepatic sarcomatoid carcinoma (HSC). This stage IV highly aggressive liver cancer patient received chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and thermotherapy at the same time. An important result of this treatment was the rapid relief of pain and symptoms of nausea, vomiting, and decreased appetite. His quality of life improved quite a lot. Clinicians and patients usually have negative attitudes when they face stage IV cancer, especially in cases like this one. Through multimodal anti-tumor treatment, the patient felt much better and became more cooperative, which gave both the clinicians and the patient more confidence in the treatment and produced a better than expected outcome. We summarize the treatment of this rare case in order to share the experience and affirm confidence in both patients and clinicians in treating this condition.