Palliative management strategies of advanced gastrointestinal carcinoid neoplasms

Background/aims Optimal management of gastrointestinal carcinoid neoplasms that metastasize to the liver is controversial. Although operative resection seems to be the most effective approach to metastatic disease, hepatic metastases are usually multicentric and often non-resectable. We investigated the effectiveness of several forms of palliative tumor cytoreduction followed by administration of somatostatin analogues in advanced carcinoid neoplasms.Methods We reviewed our experience with 34 patients with gastrointestinal carcinoid neoplasms. Eighteen patients had metastases and 14 had hormonal symptoms. Twenty-two patients underwent radical surgery, ten with multiple liver metastases were treated with a combination of debulking (resection, radiofrequency ablation, chemoembolization), followed by medical treatment with long-acting octreotide and eventually by radiolabelled somatostatin analogues, and two patients with intractable disease received only biotherapies.Results The six patients with metastatic disease who underwent radical curative liver resection had a median survival of 52 months, compared with a median survival of 48 months in the ten patients who underwent palliative debulking. Symptomatic improvement was observed in all the patients after debulking procedures. The two patients who underwent only medical treatment died after 9 and 18 months.Conclusions Aggressive tumor debulking should be performed in patients with liver metastases already at diagnosis even when complete resection is not feasible because the combination of cytoreductive procedures followed by biotherapies may provide good long-term survival and achieves symptom control in most patients with advanced disease.Paper presented at the First Constituent Congress of the European Society of Endocrine Surgeons (ESES), Pisa, Italy, 14–15 May 2004     

Surgical treatment as a principle in patients with advanced abdominal carcinoid tumors.

Seventy-five patients with advanced abdominal carcinoid tumors (65 midgut, 10 others) have been examined retrospectively to evaluate the role of surgical treatment as a principle, irrespective of stage of disease. Eighteen of 52 patients (35%) exhibited the carcinoid syndrome. Two or more primaries were found in 39% of patients with midgut lesion, 81% of these patients had regional metastases, 5% of these patients had distant lymph node metastases, and 74% of the patients had liver secondaries. All patients underwent operation, an additional 34% of the patients had a further reoperation, 9% of the patients had a second reoperation, 3% of the patients had a third reoperation, and one patient (2%) had a fourth reoperation. Intraoperative debulking (liver excluded) was performed in 33% of the patients, and 48% of the patients had treatment (resection, hepatic artery ligation, embolization) directed at the liver. The postoperative mortality rate was 2% after the primary operation for midgut lesions. The median survival for midgut tumors was 92 months, compared to 40 months for other lesions (not significant). A significantly higher survival rate was revealed for those patients with midgut lesion who were undergoing intraabdominal debulking procedures (liver excluded); median survival was 139 months versus 69 months without debulking. For those patients with liver metastases, median survival after intervention was 216 months and 48 months without such treatment (p less than 0.001). It is concluded that resection of intraabdominal carcinoid tumor masses can be performed in a high proportion of patients. Despite the retrospective, uncontrolled nature of this study, the difference in survival probabilities in favor of aggressive surgical therapy is so marked that it is not unreasonable to conclude that surgery has played a role in prolonging life in these patients.     

Hepatic dearterialization in the treatment of carcinoid syndrome

Fourteen patients with carcinoid syndrome due to metastatic ileal (10), ileo-coecal (3) or appendiceal (1) carcinoid tumours were treated with hepatic dearterialization procedures: 15 surgical interruptions of arterial connections to the liver and 1 angiographic embolization of hepatic arteries. 11 patients had complained of recurrent attacks of flush, diarrhea and/or dyspnea and 3 patients had already progressed to general debility and cardiac failure caused by tumour products. Hepatic dearterialization abolished the carcinoid syndrome symptoms for 3-60 months (mean 19 months). Urinary 5-HIAA decreased for a mean period of 27 months. After relapsing symptoms 2 patients had redearterialization of the liver with a renewed symptomless period and lowered 5-HIAA excretion. Operative mortality was 19%: the deaths occurred when liver dearterialization was performed for end-stage patients or simultaneously with bowel resection, which should be considered as contraindications. Hepatic dearterialization seems to be temporarily effective in relieving carcinoid syndrome symptoms and in reducing hormonally active tumour mass and serotonin formation.     

Is carcino-embryonic antigen useful in the follow-up management of patients with colorectal liver metastases?

BACKGROUND: The role of carcino-embryonic antigen (CEA) in monitoring early detection of recurrent or metastatic colorectal cancer, and its impact on resectability rate and patient survival remains controversial. Our objective was to determine any association between the preoperative level of CEA and prognosis, and the resectability and survival by method of diagnosis of colorectal hepatic metastases. METHODS: We analyzed patients who underwent exploration for hepatic resection for metastatic colorectal cancer over a 15-year period. The patient population consisted of those patients who had undergone primary colon or rectal resection and were followed up with serial CEA levels and of patients who were followed up with physical examination, liver function tests (LFTs) or computed tomography (CT) of the abdomen and pelvis that led to the diagnosis of liver metastases. Also included in the study were patients who were diagnosed with liver metastases at the time of the primary colon or rectal resection and underwent planned hepatic resection at a later time. RESULTS: Three hundred and one (301) patients who underwent a total of 345 planned hepatic resections for metastatic colorectal cancer between January 1978 and December 1993 were included in this analysis. The median preoperative CEA level was 24.8 ng/mL in the resected group, 53.0 ng/mL in the incomplete resection group, and 49.1 ng/mL in the nonresected group (P = 0.02). More of the patients who had a preoperative CEA < or =30 ng/mL were in the resected group, while those who had a preoperative CEA >30 ng/mL were likely to be in the nonresected group (P = 0.002). The median survival was 25 months for patients with a preoperative CEA level < or =30 ng/mL and 17 months for patients with a preoperative CEA >30 ng/mL (P = 0.0005). The resectability rate and the survival of patients by method of diagnosing liver metastases-rising CEA versus history and physical, elevated LFTs, CT scan versus diagnosis at the time of primary resection-was not significant (P = 0.06 and P = 0.19, respectively). Given the nonstandardized retrospective nature of the study cohort and relative small groups of patients, the power to detect small differences in survival by method of diagnosis is limited. In the complete resection group of patients with unilobar liver disease (5-year survival of 28.8%) there was no difference in survival between those patients who had normal preoperative CEA and those who had elevated preoperative CEA, and approximately 90% of them had an abnormal preoperative serum CEA level. CONCLUSIONS: CEA is useful in the preoperative evaluation of patients with hepatic colorectal metastases for assessing prognosis and is complimentary to history and physical examination in the diagnosis of liver metastases. Patients with colorectal liver metastases and preoperative CEA < or =30 ng/mL are more likely to be resectable, and they have the longest survival.     

Long-term survival of atypical bronchial carcinoids with liver metastases, treated with octreotide.

OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate that liver metastases by radically resected atypical carcinoids of the lung can be effectively treated by new somatostatin analogs. METHODS: Between January 1977 and December 1999, 126 patients affected by bronchial carcinoids were submitted to a radical resection of the lung. Seven of them (5.5%) presented liver metastases 27, 22, 14, 18, 16, 12 and 9 months after surgery: carcinoid syndrome (CS) was ever present. 111In-DTPA-pentetreotide scintigraphy (Octreoscan) and ultrasound guided biopsy were performed in all cases, and the presence of somatostatin receptors sst2 was demonstrated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. RESULTS: Five patients refused the proposed chemotherapy, and liver alcoholization was not feasible. Octreotide was administered at the dose of 1500 microg/daily subcutaneously. CS was controlled and also high urinary 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid values returned to normal after a median of 7 days (range 4-10 days) of medical treatment. No important side effects were registered, and a good quality of life was observed. The patients are alive and well at 51, 36, 24, 24, 23, 19, and 16 months after the diagnosis of the metastases, respectively. In two cases ultrasounds revealed the reduction and in one case the complete resolution of the liver lesion. CONCLUSIONS: Octreotide is effective in controlling symptoms of CS of patients with liver metastases of resected atypical bronchial carcinoid. The efficacy of the drug is due to the presence of sst2 somatostatin receptors in the pathologic tissue, as demonstrated by PCR method. The positivity to Octreoscan depends on the presence of the same receptors. Octreoscan may be used in the follow-up of these neuroendocrine neoplasms of the lung. A positivity to Octreoscan is predictive for an effective therapy with octreotide.     

Gastric carcinoid tumors in multiple endocrine neoplasia-1 patients with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome can be symptomatic, demonstrate aggressive growth, and require surgical treatment

BACKGROUND: Gastric carcinoid tumors occur in 15% to 50% of patients with multiple endocrine neoplasia-1/Zollinger-Ellison syndrome (MEN-1/ZES) but are thought to be benign. We report 5 patients with MEN-1/ZES with symptomatic, aggressive gastric carcinoid tumors that required surgical procedures. METHODS: This was a retrospective chart review. RESULTS: Each patient had MEN-1/ZES. Each patient had innumerable gastric carcinoid tumors with symptoms. The fasting gastrin level was 47,000 pg/mL (normal, <200 pg/mL); the basal acid output was 79 mEq/hr (n = 3), and the age at surgical exploration was 47 +/- 6 years, with a duration of MEN-1 of 21 +/- 3 years and of ZES of 15 +/- 2 years. All patients had elevated 5-HIAA or serotonin levels. Somatostatin receptor scintigraphy showed increased stomach uptake in 4 patients (80%). Four patients had a total gastrectomy; 4 patients had lymph node metastases removed, and 3 patients had liver metastases resected. One patient who did not have a total gastrectomy had liver carcinoid metastases. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that gastric carcinoid tumors in patients with longstanding MEN-1/ZES may be symptomatic, aggressive, and metastasize to the liver. With increased long-term medical treatment and life expectancy, these tumors will become an important determinant of survival.     

Hepatic cytoreduction followed by a novel long-acting somatostatin analog: a paradigm for intractable neuroendocrine tumors metastatic to the liver.

BACKGROUND: Optimal management of symptomatic neuroendocrine tumors that metastasize to the liver is controversial. We investigated aggressive hepatic cytoreduction and postoperative administration of octreotide long-acting release (LAR), a long-acting somatostatin analog. METHODS: Between December 1992 and August 2000, 31 patients underwent hepatic surgical cytoreduction (20 carcinoid, 10 islet cell, and 1 medullary). All patients had progressive symptoms refractory to conventional therapy. RESULTS: Hepatic cytoreduction (resection, cryosurgery, and/or radiofrequency ablation) eliminated symptoms in 27 patients (87%) and decreased secretion of hormones by an overall mean of 59%. When minor symptoms returned and/or hormonal levels increased during follow-up, adjuvant therapy was started. Ten patients received adjuvant octreotide LAR once a month, and 21 received other adjuvants. At a median postoperative follow-up of 26 months, 16 patients had progressive/recurrent disease, 13 had died of their disease, and 2 remained free of disease. Median symptom-free interval was 60 months (95% confidence interval, 48-72) with octreotide LAR and 16 months (95% confidence interval, 10-29) with other adjuvants (P = .0007). Two-year symptom-free survival rate was 100% with octreotide LAR and 33% with other adjuvants. CONCLUSIONS: Hepatic surgical cytoreduction can palliate progressive symptoms associated with liver metastases from intractable neuroendocrine tumors. Postoperative adjuvant therapy with octreotide LAR can prolong symptom-free survival.     

Pancreatic VIPomas: Subject Review and One Institutional Experience

VIPomas are rare pancreatic endocrine tumors associated with a well-defined clinical syndrome characterized by watery diarrhea, hypokalemia, and metabolic acidosis. The objective of this study was to review a single institution’s experience with VIPomas, as well as to review the English literature. A retrospective review of the Johns Hopkins pancreatic database revealed four cases of VIPoma, with three patients being male. All patients presented with watery diarrhea, hypokalemia, hypercalcemia, and acidosis. All patients had no family history of multiple endocrine neoplasia. Computed tomography revealed the primary pancreatic tumor in all patients, with three tumors located in the tail of the pancreas. One tumor involved the entire pancreas. Computed tomography and/or octreotide radionuclide scans identified hepatic metastasis in three patients. Mean serum vasoactive intestinal polypeptide levels were 683 pg/ml (range 293 to 1,500 pg/ml). All patients underwent resection of the pancreatic primary tumor. Two patients also had simultaneous liver resections. All patients had evidence of malignancy as defined by the presence of metastatic lymph nodes and/or hepatic metastases. Two patients had complete resolution of symptoms after surgical resection. One patient required radioablation of liver metastases and adjuvant octreotide therapy for control of symptoms. One patient died of progressive metastatic disease 96 months after surgery, whereas the other three remain alive. Extended, meaningful survival can be achieved for VIPoma patients, combining an aggressive surgical approach with additional strategies for treatment of unresected disease.     

Hepatic artery embolization for control of symptoms, octreotide requirements, and tumor progression in metastatic carcinoid tumors

Hepatic artery embolization (HAE) has been utilized for treatment of advanced hepatic carcinoid metastases, with promising symptom palliation and tumor control. Our institution employs transcatheter HAE using Lipiodol/Gelfoam for treatment of carcinoid hepatic metastases, and this report presents our experience with twenty-four patients, examining symptom control, quality-of-life, octreotide dependence, and tumor progression. Twenty-four (11 male, 13 female, mean age = 59.4 ± 2.5 yr) patients with carcinoid and unresectable hepatic metastases, confirmed by urinary 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid (5-HIAA) measurement and biopsy, were treated with Lipiodol/Gelfoam HAE from 1993–2001. Median follow-up was 35.0 months. Before HAE, 14 patients (58.3%) had malignant carcinoid syndrome, with symptoms quantified using our previously reported Carcinoid Symptom Severity Score, and 13 patients (54.2%) required octreotide for symptom palliation. Following treatment, symptom severity, octreotide dose, and tumor response were measured. Asymptomatic patients did not develop symptoms or require following treatment. Hepatic metastases remained stable (n = 4) or decreased (n = 19) in 23 patients (95.8%). Mean pretreatment Symptom Severity Scores (3.8 ± 0.2), decreased to 1.4 ± 0.1 post-treatment (P < 0.00001), with 64.3% of patients becoming asymptomatic. Mean pretreatment octreotide dosages (679.6 ± 73.0 μg/d), decreased to 262.9 ± 92.7 μg/d (P = 0.0024) post-treatment, with 46.2% of patients discontinuing octreotide. There were no treatment-related serious complications or deaths. This study demonstrates that Lipiodol/Gelfoam HAE produces excellent control of malignant carcinoid syndrome, allowing patients to decrease or eliminate use of octreotide, while controlling hepatic tumor burden. Presented at the Forty-First Annual Meeting of The Society of the Alimentary Tract, San Diego, California, May 21–24, 2000 (poster presentation).     

Surgical treatment of functioning metastatic carcinoid tumors

Thirteen patients with functioning carcinoid syndrome and hepatic metastases were surgically treated. Localized hepatic metastases were resected in five patients, and diffuse hepatic metastases were treated with hepatic artery ligation in eight. There were no postoperative deaths, and follow-up ranged from six to 46 months. All patients were symptom-free after operation. In all patients with resection, levels of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) returned to normal or near normal, whereas in patients who underwent hepatic artery ligation, the average reduction in 5-HIAA level was 76%. Three patients died during the follow-up period--two of metastatic carcinoids and one without evidence of disease. The mean duration of response was 36 months for resection and 4.8 months for hepatic artery ligation. The addition of postoperative intra-arterial chemotherapy and sequential systemic chemotherapy may enhance the response to hepatic artery ligation.     

Operative resection of primary carcinoid neoplasms in patients with liver metastases yields significantly better survival

BACKGROUND: It is unclear whether there is a benefit to resection of primary gastrointestinal carcinoid neoplasm with hepatic metastases. We investigated whether primary tumor resection in this setting led to a significant difference in outcomes. METHODS: A retrospective review of patients with abdominal carcinoid neoplasms between 1995 and 2006 was performed. Data collected on patients with proven carcinoid liver metastases at initial diagnosis included whether the primary neoplasm was resected, time to progression of liver metastases, and status at last follow-up. Progression-free survival and survival were calculated by the method of Kaplan-Meier and compared by the log-rank test. RESULTS: There were 84 patients, 60 of whom had their primary neoplasm resected. The resected group had a greater median progression-free survival of 56 months, compared with 25 months for the primary nonresected group (P < .001). Median survival time for the resected group was longer at 159 months, compared with 47 months for the nonresected group (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Resection of the primary neoplasm is associated with better progression-free survival and overall survival in patients with abdominal carcinoid neoplasms. Therefore, localization and resection of the primary neoplasm should be considered, even among patients in whom the primary neoplasm is asymptomatic.     

Surgical treatment for colorectal liver metastases involving the paracaval portion of the caudate lobe

BACKGROUND: Hepatic neoplasms in the paracaval portion of the caudate lobe (S1r) are usually difficult to treat surgically because such neoplasms often invade the hepatic veins and/or inferior vena cava (IVC). We reevaluated resected cases of colorectal liver metastases involving S1r to confirm the significance of aggressive surgical treatments. METHODS: Between July 1977 and December 2002, 95 consecutive patients with colorectal liver metastases underwent hepatic resection. Seven patients with liver metastases involving the S1r underwent resection. RESULTS: The surgical procedures for liver metastases comprised 3 isolated caudate lobectomies, 2 right hepatectomies, and 2 right hepatic trisectionectomies with caudate lobectomy. Combined resections included partial resection of the hepatic vein in 2 patients, wedge resection of the IVC in 3, and segmental resection of the IVC in 1. Six of the 7 patients with S1r metastasis had recurrent disease in liver and/or lung. A second hepatectomy was carried out in 4 patients and a partial lung resection in 2 patients. Four of the 7 patients survived more than 5 years, but 2 of them died of recurrent disease at 61 and 95 months after initial hepatectomy. The remaining 2 patients are alive 72 and 118 months without any sign of recurrence. The median survival time of the 7 patients was 60 months. CONCLUSION: Liver metastases involving the S1r could be resected radically with en bloc resection of the major hepatic veins and/or the inferior vena cava. An aggressive surgical approach with combined resection of the adjacent major vessels may offer a better chance of long-term survival in selected patients with caudate lobe metastasis from colorectal cancer.     

Carcinoid syndrome from gastrointestinal carcinoids without liver metastasis.

Although patients with bronchial and ovarian carcinoid tumors can develop the carcinoid syndrome (diarrhea and/or flushing) in the absence of hepatic metastasis, it is believed that development of the carcinoid syndrome in patients with carcinoid tumors of gastrointestinal origin occurs only after the patient has hepatic metastasis. This is explained by hepatic inactivation of most of the serotonin in the portal circulation or by the fact that hepatic metastases are larger than the primary tumor in the gastrointestinal tract. Three patients with ileal and jejunal carcinoid tumors who developed the carcinoid syndrome without obvious hepatic metastasis are described. Two of the patients had intra-abdominal, but extrahepatic, metastasis that probably drained directly into the systemic circulation. The third patient had an ileal carcinoid with clinical involvement limited to adjacent mesenteric lymph nodes. Following resection of her tumor, her urinary 5-HIAA excretion and platelet serotonin level returned to normal, and her attacks of carcinoid flushing virtually ceased. She has occasional spells of "blushing" that are thought to be benign; however, further close follow-up study will be needed to be certain that she is free of disease. It is suggested that each patient with the carcinoid syndrome be evaluated with CT and technetium-99 pertechnetate liver scans. If there is no liver involvement detected with these studies, one should consider hepatic arteriogram or laparotomy to determine if the patient's tumor might be totally resectable.     

虚拟肝脏手术规划应用于肝切除术的研究

目的 探讨虚拟肝脏手术规划对肝切除术的指导价值.方法 基于患者螺旋cT断层图像,应用自主研发的虚拟肝脏手术规划系统软件Liv 1.0对2007年5月至2009年5月收治的142例肝肿瘤患者进行虚拟肝脏手术规划,将虚拟手术规划结果与手术中所见进行对比.结果 (1)重建的142例三维可视化肝脏效果满意,清晰显示肝肿瘤的大小、位置、数目及其与肝内管道的空间毗邻关系,并可从任意角度观察,与术中所见匹配良好.(2)通过虚拟肝脏手术规划,可显示肝切除过程中需切除或保留的肝内管道,计算出余肝组织可能出现缺血和淤血的范围;通过反复的手术模拟,改变手术切除界限,优化手术方案.其中29例经CT图像判断无法切除而应用该系统进行手术规划后完整切除肿瘤,92例经虚拟手术后优化了手术方案.(3)127例肝癌患者虚拟肝脏手术规划所测预切除肝脏体积为(477±223)ml,实际切除肝脏体积为(451±209)ml,误差率为6.1%,两者间呈正相关(R=0.922,P<0.01).结论 应用软件Liv 1.0进行肝脏三维重建及虚拟肝脏手术规划可以为复杂的肝切除术提供重要的术前参考,有利于提高手术预见性和安全性,有利于提高复杂性肝切除的成功率.     

Cytoreductive surgery in patients with advanced-stage carcinoid tumors

The role of aggressive surgical resections as well as criteria for resectability in patients with advanced carcinoid tumors is not clearly defined. Thirty patients (17 male and 13 female) who were previously diagnosed to have "unresectable carcinoid disease" were treated using a multimodality approach over a period of 2 years. Extensive liver involvement was present in 28 of 30 (93%) of the cases. Small bowel involvement was noted in 22 of 30 (73%), and peritoneal/retroperitoneal/mesenteric invasion was observed in 15 of 30 (50%) of the cases. Three patients had remote metastases (brain, bone, and eye). Twenty of 30 (66%) patients had carcinoid syndrome with severely disabling symptoms. Eight patients (26%) had small bowel obstruction. All patients underwent at least one surgical exploration/intervention. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of one or more liver lesions was performed as an adjunct in 22 of 30 (73%) patients. Six patients (20%) had a second surgical procedure. There were 11 complications in eight patients (27%) after the initial operation. Median hospital stay for patients who underwent RFA only, RFA/liver resection, and liver resection with abdominal tumor debulking were 2, 4, 8, and 16 days respectively. Twenty-five of 30 patients (83%) showed symptomatic improvement. Mean pre- and postoperative Karnofsky physical performance scores were 55 and 85 respectively (P < 0.02). Small bowel obstruction was due to adhesions in five patients. All patients with intestinal obstruction had complete relief of their symptoms postoperatively. 5-Hydroxyindolacetic acid levels decreased by 50 per cent in all patients with follow-up determinations available. Aggressive surgical exploration and tumor debulking could be performed with significantly improved symptomatic outcome and relatively minor complications. Longer follow-up is needed for assessment of effect on survival.     

Selective mesenteric vein catheterization and plasma serotonin determination in patients with carcinoid tumors

Selective abdominal vein catheterization with blood sampling for serotonin determination was evaluated regarding its use in the diagnosis, location, and characterization of carcinoids. Serotonin was determined in a platelet-poor plasma fraction (PPP) by an enzymatic procedure. In 5 normal subjects the concentration of serotonin in PPP in the celiac artery, the hepatic vein, and different intestinal and pancreatic veins ranged from 1.2 to 5.4 ng/ ml. In 10 patients with carcinoid tumors, the concentration of serotonin in tumor-draining veins was clearly elevated and ranged from 10 ng/ml to 88 ng/ml PPP. 5-HIAA urine levels were false-negative in 4 cases, liver scintiscan was false-negative in 3 cases, and the angiograms were not conclusive in 2 cases. The technique with plasma serotonin determination in combination with selective catheterization is a useful complement to other investigative techniques in the diagnosis, location, and follow-up of patients with carcinoid tumors.     

Carcinoid heart disease and carcinoid syndrome: successful surgical treatment

Tumor debulking can greatly improve quality of life for patients with malignant carcinoid syndrome, but hepatic cytoreduction is confounded by carcinoid heart disease, which can cause postsinusoidal portal hypertension, thereby increasing the risk of death from hemorrhage during hepatic resection. We describe a patient with metastatic carcinoid syndrome and carcinoid heart disease who had repair of his carcinoid heart disease and, after improvement of right-sided heart function, had successful hepatic debulking of carcinoid metastases.     

Surgical treatment of carcinoid heart disease

A 70-year-old female with severe tricuspid regurgitation and stenosis was admitted to our institution because of watery diarrhea and peripheral edema. The urinary 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) level was 292.9 mg/l (normal, 0.5-5.0 mg/l). Abdominal computed tomography showed enhanced multiple nodules in the liver. The liver biopsy revealed metastatic carcinoid disease, which was thought as an etiology in severe tricuspid regurgitation and stenosis. We administered long acting somatostatin analog, octreotide to control carcinoid symptoms. After improvement of general condition, she successfully underwent bioprosthetic valve replacement with concomitant octreotide administration. Postoperative course was uneventful. She had been followed up with administration of octreotide at outpatient clinic. Cardiac surgery for carcinoid heart disease is complicated by hemodynamic instability secondary to carcinoid crises which can be provoked pharmacologically by administration of vasoactive medications. Octreotide is an effective tool to manage manifestation of carcinoid activity. We could performed surgical treatment of carcinoid heart disease safely in the perioperative presence of octreotide.     

Resection rate and effect of postoperative chemotherapy on survival after surgery for colorectal liver metastases.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether adjuvant therapy can improve survival after curative resection of colorectal liver metastases. METHODS: Some 235 patients had 256 liver resections for metastatic colorectal cancer. There were no predefined criteria for resectability with regard either to the number or size of the tumours or to locoregional invasion, except that resection had potentially to be complete and macroscopically curative. All patients who had curative hepatic resection were advised to start postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy. RESULTS: The resectability rate in screened patients was 91 per cent (235 of 259 patients); the postoperative mortality rate was 4 per cent. In 35 patients resection of the primary tumour was performed simultaneously with partial liver resection. Forty-four patients (19 per cent) developed intra-abdominal recurrence; 14 (6 per cent) underwent reoperation and the recurrent tumour was resected. Adjuvant chemotherapy was given to 99 patients (55 per cent), most treatments being based on 5-fluorouracil with folinic acid. The overall actuarial survival rates at 1, 3 and 5 years were 87, 60 and 36 per cent respectively. In a multivariate analysis, four or more metastases, preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen level higher than 5 ng/ml and a positive resection margin were independent predictors of poor outcome. Adjuvant chemotherapy improved the 5-year survival rate to 53 per cent. CONCLUSION: This study provides some evidence that postoperative chemotherapy is beneficial; however, prospective randomized studies are necessary to define its exact role.     

原发性肝脏双肿瘤:附五例

目的 探讨原发性肝脏双肿瘤的临床特点.方法 回顾性分析同时性手术切除的5例肝脏双肿瘤病人的临床资料.结果 5例病人均为男性、HBsAg阳性和双肿瘤结节均位于肝右叶.4例甲胎蛋白(alpha-fetoprotein,AFP)>20 ng/ml.术前诊断4例为肝细胞癌,1例为肝内胆管癌.术后2年4例出现复发或转移.结论 原发性肝脏双肿瘤更多地表现为肝细胞癌的特点.肝切除是有效的治疗手段.