Usefulness of F-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography for evaluating the efficacy of transient hepatic arterial chemoembolization for liver metastases of rectal cancer--a case report

It is pointed out that there can be a discrepancy between the effect diagnosed by radiographic imaging and that by histological examination, when we treat patients with liver metastases of colorectal cancer by a transient hepatic arterial chemoembolization. We report a case of liver metastases of rectal cancer in which F-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) was useful for evaluating the therapeutic efficacy for transient hepatic arterial chemoembolization. A 58-year-old man with synchronous liver metastases (H2) of rectal cancer underwent a low anterior resection, a partial hepatectomy, cholecystectomy, and ligation of the gastroduodenal artery. After these operations, the patient received 6 hepatic arterial injections with degradable starch microspheres (300-600 mg), adriamycin (30 mg), and mitomycin C (10 mg) for the remaining metastatic lesion (S7). Although abdominal CT scan revealed a partial response, FDG-PET did not show any abnormal deposits. Hepatic posterior segmentectomy was performed 7 months after the first operation. Histological examination did not show any viable tumor cells in the resected specimen.     

Second-look hepatectomy after 5FU arterial infusion in patients with primary unresectable hepatic colorectal metastases

We treated primary unresectable hepatic colorectal metastases by hepatic arterial chemotherapy (HAC) combined with resection of the tumor. Patients underwent a resection of the primary colorectal tumor and a placement of HAC system, and received a 5-fluorouracil (5FU) administration once a week (320 mg/m(2)/day). Five patients underwent a 'second-look' hepatectomy in this series. Their shrinkage rate of the primary lesion ranged from 80-99%, as seen by computed tomography. The resected liver tumors were characterized as p53-positive and proliferating cell nuclear antigen-positive. The levels of fluorodeoxyuridylate (FdUMP) and thymidylate synthetase inhibition were low in the tumor tissue. These results might reflect a kind of resistance to 5FU therapy. Hepatectomy is one of the possible options to eradicate the residual SFU-resistant component of the malignancy. Our preliminary experience possibly indicates longer survival from combination approach than from HAC alone.     

以外科手术为主综合治疗小肝癌134例临床报告

背景与目的：手术切除是治疗小肝癌的首选方法,但术后5年复发率高达35．4％－45．3％,是影响手术疗效的关键因素。本研究拟探讨以外科为主的综合治疗来降低小肝癌术后复发率。方法：以外科为主综合治疗小肝癌（直径≤5cm）患者134例,男119例,女15例,年龄18－70岁,中位年龄45岁;手术切除（切除组）121例,其中,不规则性肝叶切除16例,局部切除83例,肝叶或肝段切除12例,左半肝切除2例,联合胆吓切除8例;切除后切缘注射无水酒精或用渗入无水酒精的明胶海绵包埋于瘤床共22例。手术不能切除13例,行肝固有动脉结扎合并肝动脉及门静脉双插管化疗或瘤体内注射无水酒精或冷冻、射频治疗、微波固化、栓塞化疗等。结果：小肝癌手术切除率90．3％,无手术死亡。切除组术后1、3、5、10年生存率分别为89．3％、74．4％、64．6％和43．8％;术后1、3、5年复发率分别为11．9％、23．8％和32．1％。全组1、3、5、10年生存率分别为88．8％、72．2％、63．4％和41．7％;1、3、5年复发率分别为15．9％、29．1％和36．6％。结论：手术切除是治疗小肝癌的有效方法,以个体化为原则外科为主的综合治疗可降低术后复发率,提高小肝癌治疗效果。     

RESULTS OF HEPATECTOMY FOR HUGE PRIMARY LIVER CANCER

ＲＥＳＵＬＴＳＯＦＨＥＰＡＴＥＣＴＯＭＹＦＯＲＨＵＧＥＰＲＩＭＡＲＹＬＩＶＥＲＣＡＮＣＥＲＬｉＧｕｏｈｕｉ；李国辉；ＬｉＪｉｎｑｉｎｇ；李锦清；ＺｈａｎｇＹａｑｉ；张亚奇；ＣｕｉＳｈｕｚｈｏｎｇ；崔书钟；ＹｕａｎＹｕｎｆｅｉ；元云飞（ＴｕｍｏｒＨｏｓ...     

“Three-Grade Criteria” of Radical Resection for Primary Liver Cancer

OBJECTIVE The present study was designed to develop the “Three- Grade Criteria” for radical resection of primary liver cancer （PLC） and to evaluate its clinical significance. METHODS Criteria for radical resection of PLC were summed up to 3 grades based on criterion development. Grade Ⅰ： complete removal of all gross tumors with no residual tumor at the excision margin. Grade Ⅱ： on the basis of Grade Ⅰ, additional 4 requirements were added： （1） the tumor was not more than two in number; （2） no tumor thrombi in the main trunks or the primary branches of the portal vein, the common hepatic duct or its primary branches, the hepatic veins or the inferior vena cava; （3）no hilar lymph nodes metastases; （4）no extrahepatic metastases. Grade Ⅲ ： in addition to the above criteria, negative postoperative follow-up result including AFP dropping to a normal level （with positive AFP before surgery） within 2 months after operation, and no residual tumor upon diagnostic imaging.The clinical data from 354 patients with PLC who underwent hepatectomy were reviewed retrospectively. Based on the “Three-Grade Criteria” these patients were divided into 6 groups： Grade Ⅰ radical group, Grade Ⅰ palliative group, Grade Ⅱ radical group, Grade Ⅱ palliative group, Grade Ⅲ radical group, Grade Ⅲ palliative group. The survival rate of each group was calculated by the life-table method and the rates compared among the groups. RESULTS The survival rate of patients receiving radical treatment was better than those receiving palliative treatment （P〈0.01）. Survival improved as more criteria were applied. The 5-year survival rate of the patients in Grade Ⅰ, Ⅱ and Ⅲ who underwent radical resection was 43.2%, 51.2% and 64.4%, respectively （P〈0.01）. CONCLUSION The “Three-Grade Criteria” may be applied for judging the curability of resection therapy for PLC. The stricter the criterion used, the better the survival would be. Adopting high-grade criteria to select cases and guide operations and strengthening postoperative follow-up would improve the results of hepatectomy for PLC.     

肝部分切除与肝十二指肠韧带骨髂化治疗肝门部胆管癌

Objective To summarize the surgical experience of partial hepatectomy with skeletonization of the hepatoduodenal ligament in the treatment of hilar cholangiocarcinoma.Methods Between Jan.1999 and Dec,2001,67 consecutive patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma underwent surgical exploration at the Second Military Medical University,Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital.The clinical data of these patients were reviewed.Results Of the 67 patients,65(97%) underwent surgical resection.Fourty-nine patients(73%) received curative resection:22 skeletonization resection(SR) and 27 SR combined with partial hepatectomy.In 16 patients(9%) with curative resection the tumor margin was histologically postive and the resection was therefore considered palliative.The tumors were classified according to Bismuth with SR was type Ⅱ(17cases),various types of partial hepatectomy with SR was type Ⅲ and type IV.Right lobectomy with right caudate lobectomy was indicated in type Ⅲ(6cases),left lobectomy with complete caudate lobectomy in type Ⅲb(15cases),right loobectomy with complete caudate lobectomy(3 cases),left lobectomy with complete caudate lobectomy(9 cases) and quadrate lobectomy(2 cases)in type IV.SR and left lobectomy with complete caudate lobectomy was successfully performed in 2 patients(3%) who had undergone palliative biliary resection and cholangiojejunostomy before.Eight patients(12%) had local resecton of the tumor with Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy reconstruction using intrahepatic stents.Two patients(3%) had palliative biliary drainage.Combined portal vein resection was performed in 13 patients(20%) and hepatic artery resection in 27 patients(40%) .Twenty-four atients(36%) had no postoperative complication,23 patients(34%) had minor complications only ,and the remaining 20 patients(30%) had major complications.Of the 20 patients with major complications,14 recovered,the remaining 6 patients died from hepatorenal failure with other organ failures,from myocardial infarction or from intraabdominal or gastrointestianl bleeding 7,12,14,42,57 or 89 days after surgery.The 30-day operative mortality was 4.5%.The mean survival of the patient with curative resecton was 16 months(range 1-32 months);for those undergong palliative resection mean survival was 7 months(range 1-14months).Conlusion Partial hepatectomy with SR for hilar cholangiocarcinoma can be performed with acceptable morbidity and mortality.For curative treatmet of hilar cholangiocarcinoma,caudate lobectomy is always recommended in Bismuth Ⅲ/IV.     

Postoperative recurrence of solitary small hepatocellular carcinoma

The prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma after hepatic resection remains poor. The major cause is postoperative recurrence, most frequently intrahepatic. During the past 7 years, we conducted a detailed study of recurrence after hepatectomy in 34 patients with solitary small hepatocellular carcinoma measuring no larger than 4 cm in diameter, in which 13 cases had postoperative recurrent tumors. and two cases were considered multicentric. Eighty-five percent of recurrences were diagnosed at 6–18 months after the operation. The cumulative recurrence rates were 61% at 5 years after operation. When analyzing the factors affecting recurrence, a significant difference was observed regarding tumor diameter. After recurrence, most patients underwent percutaneous ethanol injection treatment and/or transcatheter arterial chemoembolization and lipiodolization. Four patients died of progressive disease within 1 year after recurrence; the treatment thus seemed to have no effect. The other patients with recurrence remain alive with the disease. The overall cumulative survival rates in this series were 76% at 3 years and 60% at 5 years after operation. To obtain better results after hepatectomy, even for small hepatocellular carcinoma, careful, long-term follow-up evaluation is therefore necessary for the multidisciplinary treatment of the postoperative recurrence, as well as the early diagnosis of tumors in high-risk patients. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Surgical treatment of hepatic metastases from breast cancer

We have performed a retrospective study to evaluate whether surgical treatment is beneficial in patients with hepatic metastases from breast cancer. Between September 1985 and September 1998, 25 patients with hepatic metastases (14 solitary and 11 multiple), eight of whom had extrahepatic metastases, underwent hepatectomy. All of the detectable liver metastasis were resected in all of the cases. There were no severe postoperative complications. All but one of the patients received adjunctive polychemotherapy after the hepatectomy. After the hepatectomy, recurrent tumors were detected in 18 of the patients, being located in the liver in 12 (67%) of them. Overall, however, hepatectomy ensured that the liver was clinically recurrence-free for a median of 24 months (range 2–132 months). Eleven patients died of recurrent tumors, two died of other causes and the remaining 12 are currently alive. The 2- and 5-year cumulative survival rates after hepatectomy were 71% and 27%, respectively, and the median survival duration was 34.3±3.2 months, much better than the period of 8.5 months for another series of patients treated with standard or non-surgical therapies at our institution. The number and the size of hepatic metastases, the interval between treatment of the primary lesion and hepatectomy, and the existence of extrahepatic metastasis were not adverse prognostic factors. In conclusion, our data, although limited and highly selective, suggest that surgical treatment of hepatic metastases from breast cancer may prolong survival in certain subgroups of patients to a greater extent than standard or non-surgical therapies.     

Localization of small liver tumors.

Thirty-six patients with small liver tumor were diagnosed by alpha-fetoprotein (AFP); sonography, and computed tomography (CT), and underwent hepatectomy. The pathological types included 23 hepatocelluler carcinoma (HCC), 11 hepatic cavernous hemangioma, and 2 secondary liver cancer. In 22 patients, the tumor nodules were located in the right lobe and 14 cases in the left lobe. The diagnostic accuracy rate of CT was 100% for HCC and secondary liver cancer, but for hepatic cavernous hemangioma it was only 72.2%. However, the accuracy rate of sonography was as high as 81.8% for hepatic cavernous hemangioma and only 60.4% for liver malignancies. The positive rate of AFP for the HCC patients of this series was only 66.6%. The method of intraoperative detection of small liver tumor is introduced, if the tumor was invisible grossly or nonpalpable during exploratory laparotomy. In the series, 7 cases in whom the right lobe lesion was too small to be located by routine manual examination during exploratory laparotomy were detected by this method, and all small liver tumors were resected successfully.     

紧贴肝门大血管的肝癌切除术

Objective To study the surgical experience with resection of a hilar liver cancer close to major vessels and how to improve the therapeutic result. Methods From January 1990 to June 1997, 58 hilar liver tumors (segment I, IV, V, VIII) were resected. The tumors in these 58 patients were within a distance of 1 cm to major hepatic vessels (retrothepatic inferior vena cava, root of hepatic veins, and left or right trunk of portal vein). The diameter of the tumors was > 5 cm in 42 cases and < 5 cm in 16 cases, respectively. The size of the largest tumor was 20 cm × 18 cm × 18 cm. The surgical techniques are summarized, and the prevention and treatment of postoperative complications are discussed. Results All operations have been carried out successfully and had a regular follow-up until now with 1−, 3− and 5− year survival rate of 71%, 38% and 25%, respectively. Conclusion While hilar liver surgery is quite difficult and risky, the safety and therapeutic of surgery could be improved by observing a meticulous surgical technique, and by preventing and treating postoperative complications by multimodal measures.     

Surgery including liver resection for metastatic gastrointestinal stromal tumors or gastrointestinal leiomyosarcomas

BACKGROUND: In recent years, imatinib mesylate (STI 571), a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, has shown short-term clinical usefulness for gastrointestinal stromal tumor or gastrointestinal leiomyosarcoma (GIST). The value of surgical resection, including hepatectomy, for metastatic GIST remains unknown. Our aim was to evaluate the outcome of surgical resection, including hepatectomy, for metastatic GIST at a single institute. METHODS: Eighteen patients who underwent hepatectomy for metastatic GIST were identified and the clinicopathological data of these patients were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: The primary site of GIST included stomach in 10, duodenum in five, ileum in two and esophagus in one patient. A hemihepatectomy or greater resection was undertaken in eight patients. Six patients underwent simultaneous resection for primary and hepatic disease. There was no in-hospital mortality in this series. The post-hepatectomy 3- and 5-year survival rates were 63.7 and 34.0% respectively, with a median of 36 (17-227) months. Recurrence after the initial hepatectomy was documented in 17 patients (94%), and metastatic mass of the remnant liver developed in 15 of these 17 patients (88%). Three patients survived >5 years after the initial hepatectomy who underwent multiple surgical resections during this period. No clinicopathological characteristic was a significant predictive factor for survival. CONCLUSIONS: Multiple surgical resections, including hepatectomy, may contribute to important palliation in selected patients with metastatic GIST. Surgical cure seems to be difficult due to the high frequency of repeat metastasis to various sites. Therefore, adjuvant therapy must be required in the treatment of metastatic GIST.     

Primary hepatic leiomyosarcoma: Case report and literature review

Primary hepatic leiomyosarcoma are rare tumors with less than 30 cases reported in the English literature.Non specific presentations and often diagnosis delayed until they reach a large size,is the norm with therapy leading to an often dismal prognosis.A 67-year-old man presented complaining of abdominal pain and a palpable abdominal mass since Jan 2010.Abdominal ultrasonography and abdominal computed tomography revealed a large tumor in the left lobe of the liver.Surgical exploration was undertaken and an extended left hepatectomy with extension onto the dorsal part of segment 8 preserving the MHV with partial resection of segment 6 was undertaken.The weight of the resected specimen was 1300 g of the left lobectomy specimen and 8 g of the segment 6 partial resection specimen.The pathology report confirmed the diagnosis of leiomyosarcoma.On immunohistochemistry,the tumor cells were positive for smooth muscle actin stain.The patient is on regular follow up and is currently 9 mo post resection with no evidence of recurrence.We report the case of a resected primary hepatic leiomyosarcoma and emphasize the need for a global database for these rare tumors to promote a better and broader understanding of this less understood subject.     

肝尾叶肝癌28例的手术切除体会

Ofbjective:To analyze the operative technique and results of the resection for caudate lobe carcinoma of the liver. Methods:The liver was fully freed of the ligments,short hepatic veins were divided and sutured,and the tumor was then freed frum the inferior vena cava(IVC).The caudate lobe was resected alone or in combination with other segment. Results:28 patients underwent resection of caudate lobe tumor.The number of the short hepatic veins transected and tied was 2-5(mean 3).An intermittent Pringle‘s manoeuver was used in 26patients with a median occlusion time of 21.7(range10-32)min.The median blood loss was 574(range100-1300)ml.No major complications such as massive bleeding and diliary fistula occurred.Intraoperative total vascular occlusion was perfored on lnly 5 cases.All patients were discharged from the hospital.Outpatient periodic TAEplus chemotherapy was performed.Postoperative recurence and metastasis was found in 13 cases,with 5 deaths. Conclusion:The use of third porta hepatis dissection for resection of the caudate lobe tumor can reduce the risk of massive bleeding during the operation and can raise the rate of resection of caudate lobe tumor.     

Significance of reduction surgery in multidisciplinary treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma with multiple intrahepatic lesions

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: By comparing the survival rates of patients treated with or without surgery, the significance of, and the indication for, reduction surgery in the multidisciplinary treatment of patients with HCC with multiple intrahepatic lesions were examined. METHODS: In patients with HCC with multiple intrahepatic lesions, cumulative survival rates were determined and compared for 28 patients (group S) who underwent reductive hepatic resection and 43 (group N) who were treated nonsurgically by transcatheter arterial infusion chemotherapy (TAI), transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE), or percutaneous transhepatic ethanol injection therapy. In group S, 20 patients had adjuvant therapy, consisting of ethanol injection therapy or microwave coagulonecrotic therapy for the remaining satellite lesions during hepatectomy, and all patients in this group underwent TAI or TACE postoperatively. The influence of surgery on patient survival was examined by multiple regression analysis using the Cox's hazard model; then, for each prognostic factor, survival rates were obtained and compared between the groups. RESULTS: In group S, the 1-, 3-, and 5-year cumulative survival rates were 58.2%, 27.1%, and 21.7%, whereas the corresponding values in group N were 34.3%, 4.7%, and 4.7%, the difference being statistically significant (P = 0.0239). In group S, the 1-, 3-, and 5-year cumulative survival rates for patients without intraoperative adjuvant therapy were 25%, 0%, and 0%, whereas those for patients with intraoperative adjuvant therapy were 72.7%, 41.3%, and 33.0% (P = 0.001). Multiple regression analysis showed that hepatic resection, the Child-Pugh score, and the size of the main tumor affected survival independently. Univariate analysis of differences in the cumulative survival rates between the groups as a function of prognostic factor showed that group S had statistically significant better survival rates than group N in those subgroups of patients who were <60 years old, with HBV infection, with a Child-Pugh score of 5 or 6, with a main tumor of <5-cm diameter, with <5 tumors, or without portal thrombi. CONCLUSIONS: When combined with intraoperative adjuvant therapy for remaining satellite tumors, reduction surgery provided survival benefit for patients with HCC with multiple intrahepatic lesions in those groups of patients selected by criteria determined in this study.     

Evaluation of partial hepatectomy for primary liver carcinoma

From 1964 to 1985, 120 cases of primary liver carcinoma had undergone hepatectomy in our hospital. Seven of these cases underwent hepatic lobectomy, 28 cases had palliative hepatic resection, and 85 cases had partial hepatectomy. We introduced different surgical modes and compared the mortality, survival rates, and complications between the hepatic lobectomy and partial hepatectomy groups. The mortality rates of these two groups were 14.3 and 3.5%, respectively, and the 1, 3, and 5 year survival rates were 83.3, 33.3, and 16.7 and 68.8, 48.1, and 20%, respectively. In the palliative hepatectomy group (28 cases), ten cases received combined radiotherapy postoperation. Most of these cases died during the first year postoperation. Primary liver cancer in Asia is commonly associated with hepatic cirrhosis. We suggest that partial hepatectomy is suitable for such patients. The results of the present series showed that the outcomes of the hepatic lobectomy and partial hepatectomy groups did not differ, but in partial hepatectomy, the operative mortality and complications were reduced, bleeding minimized, and operation time also shortened.     

原发性肝癌的综合治疗--附607例报告

背景与目的：虽然原发性肝癌(简称肝癌)的早期诊断和早期治疗取得了很大进步,但大多数为合并有肝硬化的中晚期肝癌患者,手术切除并非适合所有肝癌患者,即使能切除,术后复发率也高达60％以上,因而,肝癌的整体治疗效果较差。本研究探讨肝癌的综合治疗方法,以进一步提高肝癌的整体治疗效果。方法：回顾性分析我科以外科为主综合治疗的607例肝癌患者的病例资料,其中,手术切除共423例,行不规则性肝叶切除134例,局部切除95例,肝叶或肝段切除123例,半肝或半肝以上切除共54例,联合脏器切除17例;手术不能切除184例,行肝固有动脉结扎联合肝动脉及门静脉双插管化疗或瘤体内注射无水乙醇或冷冻、射频治疗、微波固化、腹腔化疗等。结果：总的手术切除率69．7％(423／607),手术死亡率1．2％(5／423);全组3、5、10年生存率分别为42．7％(218／511)、37．5％(123／328)和26．5％(26／98);切除组3、5、10年生存率分别为57．2％(203／355)、51．3％(118／230)和35．3％(24／68);不能切除组3、5、10年生存率分别为9．6％(15／156)、5．1％(5／98)和6．7％(2／30)。结论：以外科为主的综合治疗是目前可切除肝癌较好的治疗方法。术后个体化综合治疗可提高肝癌的手术治疗效果。     

吲哚靛青绿储留率判断切肝量及其与肝癌术后肝功能不全的关系

背景与目的:肝癌术前正确评估肝脏储备功能、术中合理掌握切肝量是避免肝功能衰竭的重要措施。近年来,吲哚靛青绿储留率(indocyaninegreenretentionrateat15min,ICGR15)已被认为是反映肝脏储备功能的灵敏指标。如何根据肝脏储备功能特别是ICGR15来决定所能切除的最大肝脏体积,目前未有定论。本研究旨在探讨术前ICGR15与术中切除肝体积对术后肝功能不全的影响。方法:对225例手术切除的肝细胞肝癌患者进行研究。观察指标包括术前ICGR15的测定,术中切除的肝段数以及术后患者出现肝功能不全的情况。结果:ICGR15<10%时,切除A组(切除肝段数相当于一个肝段以内)、B组(切除肝段数大于一个肝段,但在两个肝段以内)、C组(切除肝段数大于两个肝段)肝段的腹水产生率分别为21.2%、14.3%、15.4%(P>0.05);黄疸率分别为3.0%、7.1%、15.4%(P>0.05)。ICGR15介于10%～20%时,腹水产生率分别为26.8%、38.9%、50.0%(P>0.05);黄疸率分别为0、27.8%、20.0%,(P<0.01);其中2例死亡,均切除两个或以上肝段。ICGR15>20%时,6例切除A组肝段的患者中有2人出现腹水;而仅有2例切除B组肝段的患者均出现腹水和黄疸,其中1例死亡。结论:可根据ICGR15值粗略决定肝脏切除量。ICGR15<10%时,可切除两个或更多的肝段;ICGR15介于10%～20%时,切除一个肝     

Prognosis of patients with intrahepatic recurrence after hepatic resection for hepatocellular carcinoma: A retrospective study

Aims

Hepatic resection is the most effective therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, intrahepatic recurrence is common. Predictors of survival after intrahepatic recurrence have not been fully investigated. To clarify the prognosis and choice of treatment of intrahepatic recurrence after hepatic resection, we conducted a comparative retrospective analysis of 147 patients with HCC who underwent hepatic resection.

Methods

We retrospectively examined the relations between clinicopathologic factors, including the number of recurrent intrahepatic tumors and long-term prognosis after recurrence in 147 HCC patients who underwent resection. We also examined long-term survival after recurrence based on treatment types and recurrence pattern.

Results

Patients with multiple tumors (n = 83) showed less tumor differentiation, more frequent portal invasion, a higher alpha-fetoprotein level, and larger tumors than did patients with solitary tumor (n = 64). In the solitary tumor group, local ablation therapy and repeat hepatic resection were performed in 25 and 10, respectively. In the multiple tumor group, 59 were treated by transarterial chemoembolization. Multivariate analysis showed intraoperative blood transfusion and multiple tumors to be independent risk factors for poor cancer-related survival after recurrence. By subset analysis based on treatment types and recurrence pattern, survival after recurrence was significantly better in patients treated by local ablation therapy than those treated by other therapies in both solitary and multiple tumor groups.

Conclusions

For patients with solitary recurrence, a good prognosis is predicted. Local ablation therapy is a best candidate for treatment of solitary and multiple intrahepatic recurrences after hepatic resection.     

Microwave coagulation therapy for multiple hepatic metastases from colorectal carcinoma

BACKGROUND: Compared with other treatments, microwave coagulation is a relatively less invasive treatment for various kinds of solid tumors. Although its effectiveness in primary hepatocellular carcinoma has been shown, its effectiveness in the treatment of hepatic metastases from colorectal carcinoma has been unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate its effectiveness in the treatment of multiple hepatic metastases from colorectal carcinoma by comparing this technique with that of hepatic resection. METHODS: Thirty patients with multiple metastatic colorectal tumors in the liver who were potentially amenable to hepatic resection were randomly assigned to treatment with microwave coagulation (14 patients) or hepatectomy (16 patients). Tumors in the microwave group were coagulated after laparotomy at an output of 60-100 W for 2-20 minutes under the guide of ultrasonography, whereas tumors in the hepatectomy group were treated with lobectomy, segmentectomy, subsegmentectomy, and/or wedge resection. RESULTS: One-, 2-, and 3-year survival rates and mean survival times were 71%, 57%, 14%, and 27 months, respectively, in the microwave group, whereas they were 69%, 56%, 23%, and 25 months, respectively, in the hepatectomy group. The difference between these two groups was statistically not significant (P = 0.83). On the other hand, the amount of intraoperative blood loss in the microwave group (360 +/- 230 mL) was smaller than that in the hepatectomy group (910 +/- 490 mL, P < 0.05). Blood transfusion was necessary for 6 patients in the hepatectomy group, but it was not necessary in the microwave group. CONCLUSIONS: Microwave coagulation therapy is suggested to be equally effective as hepatic resection in the treatment of multiple (two to nine) hepatic metastases from colorectal carcinoma, whereas its surgical invasiveness is less than that of hepatic resection.