Hepatic secondaries: Minimal tumor and resectable tumor

Fifteen patients undergoing hepatic resection for secondary tumor, mostly of colonic origin, have been compared to 9 with unresectable secondaries of low volume. There were no statistically significant differences in age or sex distribution between the groups. The Karnovsky index was 90 or better in those with unresectable tumor at the time of laparotomy for diagnosis and staging. Patients undergoing liver resection fared much better than those with unresected disease. Three and five-year survival rates were both 49%, and there were no operative deaths. No patient in the unresected group has survived for 3 years. The improved prognosis noted in patients undergoing resection of liver metastases does not depend on tumor volume at the time of laparotomy. There is evidence that hepatic resection can influence favorably the prognosis of individual patients.

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Resumen Se ha comparado la supervivencia de 15 pacientes sometidos a resección hepática por tumor secundario, principalmente de origen colónico, con 9 pacientes con tumores secundarios de pequeño tamaño y no resecables. No hubo diferencias estadísticamente significativas en cuanto a la distributión por edad o por sexo entre los dos grupos. El índice de Karnovsky fué 90 o superior en los pacientes con tumor no resecable en el momento de la laparotomía para diagnóstico o para clasificación. Los pacientes sometidos a resección hepática tuvieron una mucho mejor supervivencia que aquellos con enfermedad no resecable. Las supervivencias a tres y a cinco años fueron de 49% y no presentaron muertes operatorias, en tanto que ningún paciente en el grupo no resecable ha sobrevivido por très años. El mejor pronóstico observado en pacientes sometidos a resección de las metástasis hepáticas no dépende del tamaño del tumor en el momento de la laparotomía. Existe evidencia de que la resección hepática puede influir en forma favorable sobre el pronóstico individual de los pacientes afectados.

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Résumé Le destin de 15 malades qui subirent une résection hépatique pour des métastases, le plus souvent d'origine colique, a été comparé à celui de 9 sujets qui présentaient des métastases de petit volume impossibles à réséquer. Aucune différence statistique en fonction de l'âge ou du sexe du malade n'existait. L'index de Karnovsky était de 90 et même meilleur chez les sujets qui présentèrent une tumeur impossible à réséquer lors de la laparotomie exploratrice. L'évolution chez les malades qui subirent une résection hépatique fut nettement plus favorable que chez les autres opérés. La survie à 3 ans et à 5 ans fut de 49%, aucune mort postopératoire n'étant survenue.Aucun des malades qui avaient subi une laparotomie exploratrice ne survécut plus de 3 ans. L'amélioration du pronostic chez les malades qui ont bénéficié d'une résection hépatique est indépendante du volume de la tumeur. On peut conclure de ces faits que la résection hépatique pour métastases entraîne une nette amélioration du pronostic.

     

Interstitial cell tumor. Profile of hormone-producing tumor

Interstitial cell tumor of the testis in an adult male can present with feminization and psychologic changes. The feminization and psychologic changes most likely reflect production of estrogen by the interstitial cell tumor. Removal of the tumor causes rapid return of the pituitary-testicular axis to normal, loss of feminization, and development of male psychosocial characteristics.     

Pancoast's tumor

Until 1956, surgical attempts to remove a Pancoast tumor had proven futile, since the neoplasm invades the endothoracic lymphatics, the sympathetic chain, intercostal nerves, ribs, bodies of the vertebrae, and subclavian vessels. In 1956, a man believed to have a nonresectable tumor received 3,000 rads over the upper right chest. Three weeks later, his superior sulcus tumor had shrunk to one-half its original size. At operation, en bloc resection of portions of the upper three ribs, along with the upper lobe of the lung, was accomplished. The patient is alive 27 years later and has only minor complications. Several other patients were successfully treated with this combined therapy, although those with distant metastases, supraclavicular tumefaction, obvious erosion of the transverse processes, extensive involvement of the brachial plexus, and vena caval obstruction are not suitable candidates for this approach.     

Wilms tumor

Wilms tumor is the most frequent malignancy of the urogenital tract in children. Its treatment gives an excellent example of the efficacy of multimodal therapeutic strategies in oncological diseases. In particular, the performance of international, randomized multicenter studies has led to a continuous increase in disease-free survival among the affected patients in recent decades, thanks to increasingly detailed stratification of individual elements of the therapy. The pediatric urologist has a definite place in interdisciplinary teams treating Wilms tumor, being needed for the operative component of the treatment. For further improvement of the prognosis in this disease and to reduce the comorbidity caused by the treatment, the major challenge for pediatric urologists in coming years will be to make the surgery less traumatic and thus also to reduce the incidence and severity of perioperative complications.     

Retroperitoneal tumor

This paper presents the case of a 69 year old patient who has a benign retroperitoneal tumor (lipofibroma) presenting differential diagnosis problems (in special preoperative one, and intraoperative technique difficulties, revealing the fact that, in this case, paraclinical investigations have an orientative value, without offering etiologic information, and do not allow a clear preoperative strategy. Tumor resection was performed under an intraoperative histologically diagnosis of lipofibroma of the retroperitoneal region. Postoperative evolution was good.     

Klatskin's tumor

During the period 1989-1998, 27 patients with primary proximal bile duct cancer were treated (17 females and 10 males with a mean age of 61 years). The main presenting symptoms were: jaundice (96.2%), itching (92.5%), weight loss (74%) and atypical pain (33.3%). All the patients underwent ultrasound (US) examination, 7 patients endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and 4 patients computed tomography (CT) examination. US examination revealed the tumor in 51% cases; most frequently a dilatation of the intrahepatic bile ducts was diagnosed with all methods. 8 patients underwent resection of the tumor and one a biliary-enteric anastomosis, in 15 cases a stent was inserted. In 3 cases the extension of the malignancy did not allowed any procedure. Three patients died during immediate postoperative period (mortality 11.2%). The mean survival was 13 months after stenting and 22 months after resection of the tumor. The authors recommended an aggressive surgical therapy for Klatskin tumors.     

腹膜后肿瘤

目的　对腹膜后肿瘤的诊断、治疗和并发症的防治进行探讨。方法　对 1984年 1月～2 0 0 0年 6月收治的 32例原发性腹膜后肿瘤的临床资料进行回顾性分析。结果　本组收治的 32例患者均经病理诊断证实为腹膜后肿瘤 ,其中良性肿瘤 17例 ,恶性肿瘤 15例。结论　影像学检查对腹膜后肿瘤的确诊有重要意义 ,治疗上主张尽量作肿瘤全切除和整块切除 ,特别是恶性肿瘤 ;不能彻底切除的应争取作肿瘤包膜内切除。良性肿瘤如手术风险很大 ,不必勉强作肿瘤全切除 ,可行肿瘤部分切除术。对于复发的腹膜后肿瘤 ,争取早期再次手术治疗。