Author(s)

Masaaki Shimada^*, Hiroaki Iwase, Noboru Hirashima, Masashi Saito, Hisashi Kondo, Noboru Urata, Satoshi Unita, Takashi Kondo, Daiki Tanaka

Department of Gastroenterology, National Hospital Organization, Nagoya Medical Center, Nagoya, Japan.

We investigated Tolvaptan efficacy and long-term prognosis with focus on nutrition in 20 patients with refractory hepatic ascites in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Bloating improved in 55% of patients, as determined using a Japanese version of the Support Team Assessment Schedule. Nutritional status improved with Tolvaptan treatment, based on the Controlling Nutritional Status score and Onodera’s prognostic nutritional index. Long-term prognosis was better in responders than in non-responders (mean survival time: 308 days vs. 97 days, p = 0.031). Tolvaptan was even effective in many patients with HCC, with additional improvement in long-term prognosis expected with improvement in the nutritional status.

Tolvaptan, Hepatic Ascites, Sarcopenia, Loop Diuretics, Long-Term Prognosis

Shimada, M. , Iwase, H. , Hirashima, N. , Saito, M. , Kondo, H. , Urata, N. , Unita, S. , Kondo, T. and Tanaka, D. (2018) The Evaluation of Tolvaptan Therapy and Long-Term Prognosis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Refractory Ascites. Open Journal of Gastroenterology, 8, 39-44. doi: 10.4236/ojgas.2018.82004.