Improved survival after resection of colorectal liver metastases

Background: The goal of this study was to determine if staging with intraoperative ultrasound (IOUS), assessment of porta hepatis lymph nodes, and evaluation of resection margins can improve selection of patients likely to benefit from resection of colorectal liver metastases. Methods: A retrospective evaluation was performed on patients undergoing celiotomy with intent to resect colorectal liver metastases. Patients were considered unresectable if extrahepatic disease was identified by peritoneal exploration or if IOUS demonstated greater than four lesions or the inability to achieve negative margins. Tumor-negative margins were confirmed by pathologic evaluation. Actuarial 5-year survival was calculated using the method of Kaplan and Meier. Results: Median follow-up is 25 months. Of the 151 patients undergoing operative exploration, 107 (71.0%) underwent liver resection (all margins tumor negative). Three operative deaths occurred in this group (2.8%). The disease of 30 patients (19.8%) was considered unresectable due to extrahepatic involvement, and that of 14 patients (9.2%) was demonstrated by IOUS to be unresectable. Five-year actuarial survival was 44% for the resected group and 0% for the unresectable patients (p<0.0001). Conclusions: IOUS, portal node assessment, and pathologic margin evaluation improves the selection of patients likely to benefit from resection of colorectal liver metastases. Presented at the 47th Annual Cancer Symposium of The Society of Surgical Oncology, Houston, Texas, March 17–20, 1994.     

HBsAg 对胃癌肝转移患者联合切除术后生存率的影响

目的:探讨HBsAg对胃癌肝转移患者联合切除术后生存率的影响.方法:回顾性分析近10年来采用胃和肝转移灶同期切除手术的胃癌肝转移患者31例的5年系统随访资料.采用Kaplan-Meier法绘制生存曲线,Log-rank法比较生存率差异,再采用Cox风险比例模型行多因素分析.结果:31例患者中完成系统随访29例,随访率93.5％.该29例患者中,3例生存无复发,另26例均死于术后复发和转移.全组1,3,5年累积生存率分别为62.1％,22.4％,12.1％,HBsAg阳性患者(14例)1,3,5年累积生存率分别为58.4％,18.7％,8.9％,而HBsAg阴性患者(17例)分别为69.3％,27.9％,15.7％; HBsAg阴性患者术后生存状态优于HBsAg阳性患者(x2=2.119,P=0.034).多因素分析结果显示,HBsAg阳性患者术后死亡的风险是HBsAg阴性患者的1.670倍,此外,肝转移灶的大小、胃癌的手术类型也是影响术后生存的独立危险因素(RR=2.121,95％CI=1.864-2.378; RR=2.296, 95％CI=2.001-2.591).结论:HBsAg是胃癌肝转移联合切除术后影响预后的独立危险因素.因此实施此类手术时应考虑HBsAg的影响.     

What factors influence survival in patients with unresected synchronous liver metastases after resection of colorectal cancer?

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine whether the survival of patients with untreated synchronous liver metastases after resection of a colorectal cancer was associated with any features of the primary tumour. METHODS: Information for 398 consecutive patients with unresected liver metastases in the period 1971-2001 was examined by multivariate survival analysis. RESULTS: Of 19 clinical and pathological variables considered, survival was independently associated only with residual tumour in a line of resection (hazard ratio (HR) 1.95), venous invasion (HR 1.87), right colonic tumour (HR 1.68), lymph node metastasis (HR 1.54), and extra-hepatic metastasis (HR 1.16); 8.3% of patients had none of these adverse features. Their 2-year overall survival rate was 39.2%, compared with only 16.5% (P < 0.001) in those with one or more adverse features. CONCLUSIONS: These findings may assist in selecting patients most likely to benefit from treatment of hepatic metastases and in counselling patients and their relatives.     

Hepatic resection and transplantation for primary carcinoid tumors of the liver

OBJECTIVE: To discuss the diagnosis and management of primary carcinoid tumors of the liver in light of our experience and a literature review. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Carcinoid tumors of the liver are rare and pose a diagnostic and management dilemma. This series is the largest reported and the only one to include liver transplantation as a treatment option. METHODS: Between March 1994 and May 2002, we treated 8 patients (4 male, 4 female) with primary hepatic carcinoid tumors. Carcinoid syndrome complicated only 1 of the cases. Treatment was by liver resection in 6 patients and orthotopic liver transplantation in 2. RESULTS: The diagnosis was confirmed histologically with light microscopy and immunohistochemistry in the absence of an alternative primary site. Six patients remain alive and disease free after follow-up of more than 3 years: 39, 43, 45, 50, 50, and 95 months. Two patients are recently postoperative. CONCLUSIONS: Active exclusion of an extrahepatic primary site is essential for the diagnosis of primary carcinoid of the liver. The mainstay of treatment should be liver resection, although liver transplantation may be considered in patients with widespread hepatic involvement. A radical surgical approach is warranted as this disease carries a better prognosis than for other primary hepatic tumors and for secondary hepatic carcinoids.     

Hepatic resection for primary and secondary neoplasms of the liver

Fifty consecutive major hepatic resections were performed for primary and secondary malignant neoplasms of the liver. There were 7 children and 9 adults with primary neoplasms and 34 patients with secondary neoplasms. The mortality rate was 0 percent and the morbidity rate, 14 percent. Postoperative morbidity correlated with operative blood loss. The 5 year survival rates for children and adults with primary neoplasms were 42 percent and 22 percent, respectively, and the 5 year survival rate for adults with secondary neoplasms was 15 percent. Factors such as disease-free interval, number of metastases, and stage of metastases did not influence the postoperative survival rate. Also, there was no difference in survival rate between patients whose metastases were resected by lobectomy or segmentectomy and those whose metastases were resected by wedge resection.     

Trends in long-term survival following liver resection for hepatic colorectal metastases

OBJECTIVE: To examine trends in outcomes of patients undergoing resection at a single tertiary care referral center over a 16-year period. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Hepatic resection is considered the treatment of choice in selected patients with colorectal metastasis confined to the liver. Although a variety of retrospective studies have demonstrated improvements in short-term outcomes in recent years, changes in long-term survival over time are less well-established. METHODS: Data from 226 consecutive patients undergoing potentially curative liver resection for colorectal metastases between 1984 and 1999 were analyzed. Actuarial survival rates related to prognostic determinants were analyzed using the log-rank test. RESULTS: The median survival for the entire cohort was 46 months, with 5- and 10-year survival rates of 40% and 26% respectively. Ninety-three patients operated on between 1984 and 1992 were found to have an overall survival of 31% at 5 years, compared to 58% for the 133 patients operated on during the more recent period (1993-1999). Both overall and disease-free survival were significantly better in the recent time period compared with the earlier period on both univariate and multivariate analyses. Other independent factors associated with improved survival included number of metastatic tumors < or = 3, negative resection margin, and CEA < 100. Comparisons were made between time periods for a variety of patient, tumor and treatment-related factors. Among all parameters studied, only resection type (anatomical versus nonanatomical), use of intraoperative ultrasonography, and perioperative chemotherapy administration differed between the early and recent time periods. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term survival following liver resection for colorectal metastases has improved significantly in recent years at our institution. Although the reasons for this survival trend are not clear, contributing factors may include the use of newer preoperative and intraoperative imaging, increased use of chemotherapy, and salvage surgical therapy.     

Simultaneous resection of colorectal primary tumour and synchronous liver metastases

BACKGROUND: The surgical strategy for treatment of synchronous colorectal liver metastases remains controversial. The outcome and overall survival of patients presenting with such metastases, treated either by simultaneous resection or by delayed resection, were evaluated. METHODS: From 1987 to 2000, 97 patients presented with synchronous colorectal liver metastases, of whom 35 (36 per cent) underwent a simultaneous resection and 62 patients (64 per cent) a delayed resection. Simultaneous resection was considered prospectively for patients with fewer than four unilobar metastases. RESULTS: Age, blood transfusion requirements, operating time, duration of inflow occlusion, hospital stay and mortality rate were similar in the two groups. The morbidity rate did not differ significantly (23 per cent after simultaneous resection and 32 per cent after delayed resection). The location of the primary tumour and extent of liver resection did not influence the morbidity rate significantly in the simultaneous resection group. The overall survival rate was 94, 45 and 21 per cent at 1, 3 and 5 years respectively after simultaneous resection, and 92, 45 and 22 per cent after delayed resection. CONCLUSION: In selected patients, simultaneous resection of the colorectal primary tumour and liver metastases does not increase mortality or morbidity rates compared with delayed resection, even if a left colectomy and/or a major hepatectomy are required.     

Surgery as primary treatment in patients with liver metastases from carcinoid tumors: a retrospective, unicentric study over 13 years

BACKGROUND: The heterogeneous nature of carcinoid tumors makes it difficult to develop a standardized treatment strategy for the primary tumor itself and for probable liver metastases. However, prolongation of the 5-year survival rate (5-ysr) and amelioration of the incapacitating symptoms after resection of the primary tumor and its metastases demonstrate that surgical intervention must be the treatment of choice in these tumors. METHODS: The data of 31 patients (17 patients with midgut carcinoids, 10 patients with an endocrine carcinoma (carcinoid) of the pancreas, and 4 patients with carcinoids of the lung) who underwent liver operation for metastatic carcinoid tumors between 1983 and 1996 were analyzed, with special regard to factors influencing postoperative survival. RESULTS: Ten patients underwent curative resection (5-ysr, 86%), and palliative operations were performed in 21 patients (5-ysr, 26%). The overall 5-ysr was 47%, with a mean postoperative follow-up of 3.5 years (range, 4 months to 10.8 years). Postoperative morbidity rate was 13%. Size of liver metastases, radicality of the operation and localization of the primary tumor were factors influencing postoperative survival. CONCLUSIONS: Surgery for metastatic carcinoid tumors may be curative or palliative, with a potential for cure in some cases and prolongation of survival and amelioration of symptoms in the majority of patients.     

Laparoscopic resection of primary midgut carcinoid tumors

Background

Laparoscopic intestinal surgery is the preferable technique for the majority of intestinal surgical disorders. However, no series on laparoscopic resection of intestinal midgut carcinoid tumors (MCTs) has been reported to date. This is related to the rarity of these tumors as well as the technical difficulties resecting the large mesenteric root lymph node mass commonly found with these tumors and the occasional difficulty identifying the primary MCT, which may be small and undetected on preoperative imaging studies. This is the first series to report the results for laparoscopic resection of MCT.

Methods

All consecutive patients with MCT (excluding appendiceal carcinoid tumor) between 2002 and 2012 underwent laparoscopic resection. The patient’s clinical data, preoperative endocrine workup, imaging studies, operative data, final histology, and outcome were recorded and analyzed.

Results

During the study period, 35 patients underwent surgery for primary intestinal carcinoid tumor. Of the 35 patients, 20 (12 women and 8 men ages 26–86 years) had surgery for primary MCT, and the remainder had a colorectal carcinoid tumor. In the MCT group, ten patients had liver metastases at the time of surgery. In three patients, multiple synchronous MCTs were detected intraoperatively. All the patients underwent a laparoscopic resection with en bloc resection of the corresponding mesenteric root mass. No conversion to open surgery was needed, and no major morbidity occurred. Two patients (10 %) each experienced minor morbidity with wound infection and prolonged ileus. The median hospital length of stay was 6 days (range 4–9 days). During a follow-up period of 3–96 months, no patients experienced local or regional recurrence. No distant metastases were detected during the follow-up period in any patients who had surgery with intent to cure.

Conclusion

Although technically difficult, laparoscopic resection of primary MCTs is feasible and safe, with the additional known significant advantages of laparoscopic surgery in general. Similar to the large-scale prospective studies that proved the oncologic safety of laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer, this small series showed that the laparoscopic technique also may be oncologically safe for these rare tumors.     

Repeat hepatic resection for recurrent colorectal liver metastases is associated with favourable long-term survival

BACKGROUND: The management of patients with recurrent colorectal liver metastases (RCLM) remains controversial. This study aimed to determine whether repeat liver resection for RCLM could be performed with acceptable morbidity, mortality and long-term survival. METHODS: Of 1121 consecutive liver resections performed and prospectively analysed between 1987 and 2005, 852 'curative' resections were performed on patients with colorectal liver metastases. Single liver resection was performed in 718 patients, and 71 repeat hepatic resections for RCLM were performed in 66 patients. RESULTS: There were no postoperative deaths following repeat hepatic resection compared with a postoperative mortality rate of 1.4 per cent after single hepatic resection. Postoperative morbidity was comparable following single and repeat hepatectomy (26.1 versus 18 per cent; P = 0.172), although median blood loss was greater during repeat resection (450 versus 350 ml; P = 0.006). Actuarial 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates were 94, 68 and 44 per cent after repeat hepatic resection for RCLM, compared with 89.3, 51.7 and 29.5 per cent respectively following single hepatectomy. CONCLUSION: The beneficial outcomes observed after repeat liver resection in selected patients with RCLM confirm the experience of others and support its status as the preferred choice of treatment for such patients.