Lobe-specific extent of systematic lymph node dissection for non-small cell lung carcinomas according to a retrospective study of metastasis and prognosis.

BACKGROUND: Complete lymphadenectomy of the mediastinum is advised for patients with lung cancer to provide prognostic information and possible survival benefit. The proper extent of dissection should be further defined. METHOD: The lymphatic metastatic patterns according to the primary site and prognoses were retrospectively analyzed in 166 patients with non-small cell carcinoma who underwent at least lobectomy with hilar and mediastinal lymphadenectomy. All patients had histologically proven mediastinal metastasis (pN2). RESULTS: Among 54 right upper lobe tumors the most common site of metastasis was the lower pretracheal station (74%), whereas metastases to the subcarinal station were seen only in 13%. Among 8 patients with right middle lobe tumors and 41 patients with right lower lobe tumors, both superior mediastinal and subcarinal stations were involved. The 34 left upper segment tumors metastasized to the aorticopulmonary window most commonly (71%) and to the subcarina only in 12% of cases. Inversely, the 10 left lingular tumors metastasized to the subcarina most commonly (50%) and to the aorticopulmonary window only in 20% of cases. Among 44 left lower lobe tumors the subcarinal station was most common for metastasis (58%), with infrequent metastases to the aorticopulmonary window. The 5-year survival for all 166 patients was 35%. Patients with single-station and single-node metastases had a significantly better prognosis than those with more extensive metastases. Right lower lobe tumors with superior mediastinal metastasis carried a particularly poor 5-year survival of only 4.1%. COMMENT: Subcarinal lymphadenectomy is not always necessary for tumors of the right upper lobe and left upper segment. For tumors of other lobes both superior mediastinal dissection and subcarinal dissection are advised. However, superior mediastinal metastasis should be recognized as an indicator of poor prognosis in tumors of both lower lobes.     

Results of lung metastasectomy from breast cancer: prognostic criteria on the basis of 467 cases of the International Registry of Lung Metastases.

OBJECTIVE: Metastatic breast cancer is still defined as an incurable disease. Although the prognosis after resection of isolated metastases to the lung is much better than after chemotherapy most oncologists and gynecologists disapprove of lung metastasectomy. METHODS: In order to summarize the experience of pulmonary metastatic surgery and to achieve more relevant data by an increased number of cases, we evaluate the data of the International Registry of Lung Metastases of 467 patients having lung metastases from breast cancer with regard to long-term survival and prognostic factors. RESULTS: In 84% a complete metastatic resection was possible. The survival rates are 38% after 5 years, 22% after 10 years, and 20% after 15 years. Prognostic factors are a disease-free interval of > or = 36 months with 5-year survival of 45%, a 10-year survival of 26% and a 15-year survival of 21% (P=0.0001), solitary lung metastasis is associated with a survival rate of 44% after 5 years and of 23% after 10 and 15 years, but this is not statistically significant compared to multiple metastases. When establishing prognostic groups as suggested by Pastorino and the International Registry of Lung Metastases based on the risk factors disease-free interval, number of metastases and complete resection the group with the best prognosis showed 5-year survival of 50%, 10- and 15-year survival of 26% with a median survival of 59 months. CONCLUSION: Considering the low morbidity and mortality rate, we think that lung metastasectomy today is the best treatment option in selected cases of lung metastases from breast cancer.     

Results of radical treatment of stage IIIa non-small-cell carcinoma of the lung

From 1979 to 1987, 907 patients with non-oat cell carcinoma of the lung were subjected to thoracotomy: of these, 685 (75.5%) underwent radical resection of the lung tumour. The 230 stage IIIa patients were studied in this paper. These were divided into three groups. First group: 93 patients with only local parietal or mediastinal spread without involvement of the mediastinal lymph nodes (T3N0-1M0); the 5-year survival of this group was 35% (44.1% when the ribs and muscles were not affected). A second group of 118 patients had tumour spreading to the mediastinal lymph nodes, but without local involvement (T1-2N2M0): this group had a 5-year survival of 22.3%. The 5-year survival was better in patients without metastases in the subcarinal lymph nodes than in patients with them (23.76% versus 12.89%). Skipping of lymphatic levels was frequent: 37% of patients with metastasis to mediastinal lymph nodes did not have metastases in the lymph nodes of the lung; 10% of tumours removed by lobectomy had metastases in the lymph nodes of the residual lobe. The third group with parietal and lymphatic mediastinal invasion (T3N2M0) had a poor survival (13.5% at 5 years). The author concludes that it is possible to achieve an acceptable 5-year survival in selected cases with metastasis to mediastinal lymph nodes: when the CT scan demonstrated mediastinal lymph nodes larger than 1.5 cm, mediastinoscopy was carried out and, if positive, the patient was judged inoperable.     

Primary carcinoma of the gallbladder: study of 108 cases.

From 1948 through 1970, 108 causes of primary carcinoma of the gallbladder were recorded out of a total of 17 698 cases of cancer exclusive of skin cancer (incidence, 0.6%). This review indicated that the following are the chief features of this condition: Primary gallbladder carcinoma is mainly a disease of women older than 60 years; abdominal pain occurs in most patients and jaundice in more than half, and weight loss is also common; laboratory and radiographic features are nonspecific; the diagnosis is made or strongly suspected in only one-quarter and, moreover, in many patients the disease may not be discovered until pathologic examination is conducted postoperatively. Resection was possible in 41 of the 93 patients who underwent operation but treatment was conservative because it was palliative in 20, and in 20 of the other underwent cholecystectomy the disease was not recognized at operation. Overall, the 5-year survival rate was 6.4%; for those who underwent curative resection it was 33%; and for patients without visible metastases at operation the mean survival was 3 years. Improvement in survival will come from more frequent recognition of the cancer at operation so that an operation so that an operation more adequate than cholecystectomy may be performed; that is, cholecystectomy, wedge resection of liver and resection of regional lymph nodes.     

Comparison of clinical characteristics at diagnosis and during follow-up in 118 patients with Hurthle cell or follicular thyroid cancer

BACKGROUND: Hurthle cell cancer (HCC) is considered by some to be a variant of follicular cancer (FC), but many think it is a distinct histologic tumor with a more aggressive behavior. METHODS: The influence of age at diagnosis, tumor stage, gender, and extent of operation on disease-free interval and cause-specific mortality at 5 and 10 years after initial thyroidectomy was analyzed. RESULTS: The 10-year disease-free interval was 75% for FC and 40.5% for HCC (P = .08). The 10-year cause-specific mortality was 20% for FC patients and 51% for HCC (P = .2). The risk factors for HCC progression and survival were extrathyroidal invasion, presence of metastases at diagnosis, male gender, and extent of thyroidectomy, whereas for FC, the only significant risk factors were extrathyroidal invasion and presence of metastases at diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Patients with HCC have more aggressive tumors than patients with FC. Our data suggest that FC and HCC should be classified as distinct tumors.     

Atypical bronchial carcinoids. Review of 46 patients

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to assess the behaviour of atypical carcinoids operated at our Department in the period 1977-1998 and to review the last 19 cases according to Capella's classification (1994), indicating the most adequate surgical approach. METHODS: On the basis of anatomo-pathological characteristics, we have reviewed surgical treatment and outcome in 46 patients, submitted in the last 22 years to surgical resection for neuroendocrine neoplasms. RESULTS: 5-year survival is 77.2%; 10-year survival is 53.2%. Lymph node metastases are also important for survival, but less than the histotype. The review of our last six years' series, according to Capella's classification, of 19 patients affected by so-called atypical carcinoids revealed that: 5 were well differentiated neuroendocrine tumors (WDNT), 12 were well differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas (WDNC), 2 were small cell neuroendocrine carcinomas (SCLC). The 5-year overall survival of our cases is 78%, for the WDNT 100%, for WDNC 81.2%. Of the 2 patients with SCLC, one survived 2 months; the other is still alive 5 months after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: The authors conclude that 5-year and 10-year survival are strongly related to the histological type of neuroendocrine neoplasm and to the presence of lymph node metastases. Capella's anatomo-pathological classification helps to give a more accurate prognosis for survival in so-called "atypical carcinoids". If the neoplasm is malignant, the authors recommend radical resection, if possible.     

Radical prostatectomy for carcinoma of the prostate: long-term follow-up of 115 patients

From July 1969 to September 1990, 370 patients with prostatic cancer underwent radical prostatectomy at our institution. Of these 370 patients, 115 consecutive patients could be followed for more than 10 years (mean 12.5). Patients with stage pT1-pT3 tumors received no further treatment until progression occurred. Patients with regional lymph node metastases (stages pT2-3pN1-2M0) were treated by either an immediate orchiectomy or an adjuvant hormonal therapy. No radiotherapy was applied prior to radical prostatectomy or thereafter. Of the 115 patients followed for more than 10 years, 84 had stage pT1-2, 22 had stage pT3, and 9 had stage pT2-3pN1-2 tumors. The observed 10-year survival rate of all 115 patients (including those with regional lymph node metastases) was found to be 67.0%. The 10-year disease-free survival rate was 58.3% and the tumor-related survival rate was 83.5%. Considering only patients with locally confined (stage pT1-2) tumors, the 10-year survival rate was 75.0%. This observed survival rate equals the 10-year survival expectancy of a male age-matched control population (69.9%). Progression (local recurrence or distant metastatic spread) was noted in 27.8% of patients within the 10-year interval after radical prostatectomy. Within this time interval, 16.5% of the patients died from their disease.     

Treatment of malignant pancreatic islet cell tumors

Among 142 patients with islet cell tumor who were admitted to hospital between 1982 and 1999, 15 patients (10.6%) had malignant tumours. The mean age was 45.3 +/- 5.8 years. Islet cell tumors were located in the head and corpus of the pancreas in 26.6% and 26.6% of the patients, respectively, in the tail of the pancreas in 46.8% of the patients. The mean size of the tumor was 2.9 +/- 0.7 cm, in 6 patients (40%) liver metastases were found. US, CT and angiography which sensitivity were 72.7, 100 and 85.7%, respectively, were used for topical diagnosis of the islet cell tumors. 12 patients were operated on (15 operations) and 3 patients were treated conservatively by streptozocin. Surgical procedures included distal pancreatic resection (n = 11), enucleation of the tumor (n = 2), hepatic resection (n = 1), abdominal exploration (n = 1). In 2 patients palliative pancreatic resections were combined with transarterial embolization and devascularisation of the liver metastases and 2 patients were treated by systemic chemotherapy. To reveal malignancy before and during the operation was possible only by evaluation of distant metastases and the adjacent organs infiltration. In other cases to determine the diagnosis was possible only after planned histological identification of the resected specimens. 5-year survival rates after conservative and surgical treatment were 33% and 62.5%, respectively. In patients without distant metastases 5-year survival rate was 100%.     

Cases of death after surgery for pathologic stage I non-small cell lung cancer

We clinically examined cases of death from pathologic stage I non-small cell lung cancer with the aim of improving the 5-year survival rate after surgery for this condition. The subjects were 70 patients with p-stage IA (20 cases of death) and 59 patients with p-stage IB (26 cases of death) from among those who underwent surgery for p-stage I non-small cell lung cancer between 1986 and 2000. 1) Of 30 patients who died from p-stage I lung cancer, 20 had distant metastases and 10 had recurrence in the thoracic cavity. Of 16 patients who died from other diseases, 5 had respiratory organ disease, 5 had cancers of other organs and 6 had circulatory organ disease. 2) Of 30 patients who died from p-stage I lung cancer, 20 (66.7%) had distant metastases, with lung metastasis occurring most frequently, in 10 of them (33.3%). The most common cause of death of patients with p-stage IB lung cancer was recurrence in the thoracic cavity. 3) The mean durations of survival (mean +/- standard deviation) after surgery for lung cancer of the patients who died from p-stage I lung cancer (30 patients) were 36.3 +/- 22.2 months for the 20 patients with distant metastases and 26.2 +/- 14.3 months for the 10 patients with recurrence in the thoracic cavity, the difference between groups was 10 months, but was not significant. 4) The 5-year survival rate in 45 patients who underwent p-stage IA mediastinal lymph node dissection was 83.1% whereas that in 25 patients without p-stage IB mediastinal lymph node dissection was 50.9% showing a significant difference of 32.2% (p < 0.01). 5) The patients in p-stage IA who died from other diseases were all men (10 patients). The mean durations of survival after surgery for lung cancer in the patients who died from other diseases were 35.2 +/- 19.0 months in the patients with respiratory organ disease, 37.0 +/- 23.9 months in those with cancers of other organs and 60 +/- 19.1 months in those with circulatory organ disease. 6) The 5-year survival rate after surgery in all cases of death was 76% in the patients in p-stage IA and 61.4% in those in p-stage IB. The 5-year survival rates in the patients excluding those who died from other diseases were 85% in the patients in p-stage IA (60 patients) and 60.3% in those in p-stage IB (53 patients) (p < 0.01). 7) To improve the 5-year survival rate in the patients with p-stage IA lung cancer, it is necessary to prevent death from other diseases in men. It is still possible to improve the 5-year survival rate in the patients with p-stage IB lung cancer by raising the accuracy of mediastinal lymph node dissection during surgery.     

Factors influencing 5-year survival in gastric malignancies after total gastrectomy

One hundred consecutive patients were analysed who had been treated with total gastrectomy in the Second Department of Surgery, Helsinki University Central Hospital, for malignancies of the stomach from 1977 to 1982. Hospital mortality was 8%. The 5-year survival rate in this selected group of patients was 43% and 34% for patients with gastric cancer. Patients with metastases died within 42 months, more than half of them within one year. However, palliative total gastrectomy is recommended in proximally located obstructing tumours. Radical operations on patients with tumour growth to adjacent tissue and organs had no effect on the 5-year survival rates compared to those on patients with metastases. Surgical removal of the primary tumour is recommended in these cases as well. Patients without lymph node metastases had a survival rate of 67% but the prognosis was even better in cases with intact serosa (96%).     

Mesodermal (müllerian) adenosarcoma of the ovary: a clinicopathologic analysis of 40 cases and a review of the literature

Forty cases of mesodermal adenosarcoma of the ovary occurred in women 30-84 years of age (mean 54 years). Abdominal discomfort and distension were the usual complaints. All the patients were treated with an oophorectomy, which was accompanied by a hysterectomy in 85%, a contralateral oophorectomy in 65%, and nonsurgical therapy in 28%. Tumor rupture occurred at or before the operation in 67% of the cases. Twenty-six tumors were stage I, 11 stage II, and 3 stage III. The tumors were unilateral in 97.5% of the cases and 5.5-50 cm (mean 14 cm) in greatest dimension; most of the tumors were predominantly solid but contained numerous small cysts. Microscopic examination revealed sarcomatous overgrowth in 12 tumors. Sex cord-like elements were present in six tumors (including four with sarcomatous overgrowth) and heterologous elements in five (including two with sarcomatous overgrowth). The highest mitotic index of the sarcomatous component was 1-25 (mean 6) mitotic figures per 10 high power fields. Only 6 of 26 women (23%) who were followed postoperatively for > or=5 years were free of tumor. In the other 20 patients recurrent tumor appeared at 0.4-6.6 years (mean 2.6 years) after operation as pure sarcoma (low grade or high grade) or adenosarcoma (with or without sarcomatous overgrowth). Eight women had additional recurrences, and four women had blood-borne metastases. One patient was alive at 15.7 years after the excision of pulmonary metastases. The 5-, 10-, and 15-year survival rates were 64%, 46%, and 30%, respectively. Age <53 years, tumor rupture, a high grade, and the presence of high-grade sarcomatous overgrowth appeared to be associated with recurrence or extraovarian spread. Ovarian adenosarcomas have a worse prognosis than uterine adenosarcomas, presumably because of the greater ease of peritoneal spread. Many of the tumors caused problems in differential diagnosis.     

Carotid body tumor.

To better define the management and behavior of carotid body tumors, a 34-year surgical experience with 33 tumors in 30 patients was reviewed. There were 20 women and 10 men with an age range of 20 to 78 years. All but one presented with a neck mass. Arteriography was performed on 21 patients and was diagnostic in every case. There was no surgical mortality. Complications occurred in eight patients (27%), and one long-term neurologic deficit occurred. Three of 33 tumors were malignant, and aggressive resection of all approachable disease with radiotherapy for unresectable metastases led to prolonged survival in each case. Carotid body tumors present with neck mass. Arteriography is diagnostic and surgery is indicated. Even for malignant tumors and metastases, aggressive resection and radiotherapy are indicated.     

The Role of Liver Resections for Noncolorectal,Nonneuroendocrine Metastases: Experience With 142 Observed Cases

Background To evaluate the role of liver resection for noncolorectal, nonneuroendocrine metastases, indications and results were retrospectively reviewed in 142 observed patients.Methods A curative liver resection was performed in 83 cases (58.5%), and the remaining 59 patients received palliative treatments. The primary tumor site was gastrointestinal in 18, breast in 21, genitourinary in 15, leiomyosarcoma in 10, and other in 19. The mean number of metastases was 1.4. The mean diameter of the nodules was 5.7 cm. Liver metastases were synchronous in 11 (13.3%) cases and metachronous in the remaining 72 (86.7%).Results There was no operative mortality. Postoperative morbidity was 20.5%. The median postoperative stay was 9.5 days. The 3- and 5-year actuarial survival rate was 49.5% and 34.3% in resected cases, respectively, whereas there were almost no survivors 3 years after diagnosis in unresected cases (P < .05). The 3- and 5-year disease-free survival was 41.4% and 23.8%, respectively. Among the 83 resected cases, the 3- and 5-year actuarial survival was 17.3% and 8.6% for metastases from gastrointestinal tumors, 53.9% and 24.6% from breast cancer, 63.7% and 36.4% from leiomyosarcoma, 50.4% and 37.8% from genitourinary neoplasms, and 55.6% and 42.4% from other sites, respectively. Fifteen patients (18.1%) survived longer than 5 years.Conclusions Liver resection is an effective treatment for noncolorectal, nonneuroendocrine metastases; it allows satisfactory long-term survival with an acceptable operative risk in selected patients. Hepatic metastases from gastrointestinal carcinoma have the worst prognosis; those from genitourinary tumors show a better outcome. Patient selection is the key to achieving encouraging results.     

Selection criteria for radical prostatectomy with reference to long-term results]

Between July 1969 and May 1991 radical prostatectomies were performed in 410 consecutive patients with prostate cancer at the Department of Urology, University of Würzburg. The calculated survival rates for these 410 patients up to 15 years after surgery are very similar to the life expectancy of the normal male age-matched population. In 127 of the 410 cases radical prostatectomy was carried out more than 10 years ago, so that the data relating to these cases have been definitely observed, not merely statistically evaluated. In order to permit a comparison of our results with those reported in the literature, the TNM classification of 1979 was utilized in this study. This means that only tumors penetrating through the capsule of the prostate were classified as stage pT3. Those tumors that are only infiltrating the apex or the prostatic capsule, are classified as stage pT2. For patients with stage pT1pN0M0 and pT2pN0M0-tumors, 10-year survival rates (90.5% and 70% respectively) were recorded which are even slightly better than those of the normal male age-matched population. For patients with tumors extending through the capsule, the 10-year survival rate was found to be 60%. Forty percent ot these patients with stage pT3pN0M0 disease are alive tumor-free after more than 10 years and can thus be regarded as cured. When lymph node metastases were present (stage pT2-3pN1-2M0), some of the patients appeared to benefit from radical prostatectomy, since 4 out of 11 patients with this stage disease survived for more than 10 years.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma: Clinical course and results of therapy

Ninety-nine patients with carcinoma of the nasopharynx were reviewed. No significant relationship was found between T classification and survival or between tumor cell type and survival. The presence of regional metastases, however, did influence the outcome of therapy. A 5-year survival of 34.4% was recorded for patients without nodal disease in contrast to 14% for patients with massive lymphadenopathy or bilateral cervical metastases. The significance of regional metastases is supported by the relationship between survival and disease stage. The 5-year survival for stage I was 67%, while the average survival for stages III and IV was 21%. The average 3- and 5-year survivals for the entire series of patients were 36.2% and 23.9%, respectively. Early lesions confined to the primary site have the greatest chance of cure, but even advanced disease with bone destruction or cranial nerve involvement may be controlled with radiotherapy in some cases. Patients who develop cervical metastases following successful control of nasopharyngeal tumor may be cured by radical neck dissection. Two (28.6%) of seven patients undergoing surgical treatment survived for 10 years following neck dissection.     

The usefulness of extended radical mastectomy in patients with breast carcinoma]

Extended radical mastectomy (EXT) in 1, 137 patients with breast carcinoma was devised to eradicate all possible sites of local nodal metastases including internal mammary chain during the years 1962 through 1990. The tumors had to be mainly any T located in medial-half, central (excluding less 1.0 cm or histologic type with good prognosis) and T size measuring 3.0 cm or more in lateral-half. Prognostic outcomes were analysed by the presence or absence of nodes involved. The 10-year relapse free survival in patients with internal mammary node (IMN) only invaded and both axillary (AX) & IMN invaded were 47.8% and 40.1%, respectively. The incidence of relapse free survival at 10 years in relation to the number of positive AX and IMN indicated virtually favorable--1 positive: 71.4%, 2 or 3 positive: 61.3% and 4-9 positive: 53.7%. In our study, the frequency of IMN involvement calculated 24.1% from all quadrants of the breast. In comparison of nonrandomized series with medial-half and lateral-half tumors which involved positive IMN, comprising 95 and 28 patients of the total (n = 495), relapse free survivals at 15 years were 36.5% and 17.5%, respectively. It was presumed that the benefit of EXT would be found in medial-central tumors.     

Incidence and Impact of Documented Eradication of Breast Cancer Axillary Lymph Node Metastases Before Surgery in Patients Treated With Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy

OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence and prognostic significance of documented eradication of breast cancer axillary lymph node (ALN) metastases after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is the standard of care for patients with locally advanced breast cancer and is being evaluated in patients with earlier-stage operable disease. METHODS: One hundred ninety-one patients with locally advanced breast cancer and cytologically documented ALN metastases were treated in two prospective trials of doxorubicin-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Patients had breast surgery with level I and II axillary dissection followed by additional chemotherapy and radiation treatment. Nodal sections from 43 patients who were originally identified as having negative ALNs at surgery were reevaluated and histologically confirmed to be without metastases. An additional 1112 sections from these lymph node blocks were obtained; half were stained with an anticytokeratin antibody cocktail and analyzed. Survival was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: Of 191 patients with positive ALNs at diagnosis, 23% (43 patients) were converted to a negative axillary nodal status on histologic examination (median number of nodes removed = 16). Of the 43 patients with complete axillary conversion, 26% (n = 11) had N1 disease and 74% (n = 32) had N2 disease. On univariate analysis, patients with complete versus incomplete histologic axillary conversion were more likely to have initial estrogen-receptor-negative tumors, smaller primary tumors, and a complete pathologic response in the primary tumor. The 5-year disease-free survival rates were 87% in patients with preoperative eradication of axillary metastases and 51% for patients with residual nodal disease after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Of the 39 patients with complete histologic conversion for whom nodal blocks were available, occult nodal metastases were found in additional nodal sections in 4 patients (10%). At a median follow-up of 61 months, the 5-year disease-free survival rates were 87% in patients without occult nodal metastases and 75% in patients with occult nodal metastases. CONCLUSIONS: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy can completely clear the axilla of microscopic disease before surgery, and occult metastases are found in only 10% of patients with a histologically negative axilla. The results of this study have implications for the potential use of sentinel lymph node biopsy as an alternative to axillary dissection in patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy.     

Surgical treatment for both pulmonary and hepatic metastases from colorectal cancer

OBJECTIVE: The role of surgery in the treatment of patients with pulmonary and hepatic metastases from colorectal cancer has not been delineated. METHODS: Of the 351 patients enrolled in the Metastatic Lung Tumor Study Group of Japan between June 1988 and June 1996 who underwent thoracotomy for pulmonary metastases from colorectal cancer, 47 also underwent hepatic resection for metastatic tumors. The records of these patients were studied. RESULTS: The 47 patients who underwent pulmonary and hepatic resection had a 3-year survival of 36% +/- 8%, a 5-year survival of 31% +/- 8%, and an 8-year survival of 23% +/- 9%. The longest survival was 98 months. This patient was alive without recurrence. There was a significant difference in the cumulative survival of the patients with a solitary pulmonary metastasis and the patients with multiple pulmonary metastases (P =.04). Neither age, sex, location of the primary tumor, maximum diameter of the pulmonary metastases, method of pulmonary resection, number of hepatic metastases, nor method of hepatic resection was correlated with survival. However, 9 of 10 patients who survived 3 years or more after the initial thoracotomy had only one or two hepatic metastases. CONCLUSION: Surgical treatment of a solitary pulmonary metastasis concurrent with or after resection of hepatic metastases from colorectal cancer may be appropriate if the hepatic metastases are resectable for cure. Patients with a solitary pulmonary metastasis and a small number of hepatic metastases are good candidates for resection. Long-term survival can be expected.     

Stage means more than grade in adenoid cystic carcinoma.

Our experience with 184 previously untreated patients who had adenoid cystic carcinoma of salivary gland origin is reviewed. Retrospective staging was possible in all but nine patients who had minor salivary gland primary tumors. Sixty-three percent of patients were diagnosed as having stage I or stage II disease (stage I, 64 patients; stage II, 47 patients), whereas 43 and 21 patients had stage III and IV tumors, respectively. Grading was as follows: cribriform pattern only (grade 1, 126 patients; 68%), mixed cribriform and solid features (grade 2, 48 patients; 26%), and solid only (grade 3, 10 patients; 5%). Treatment was predominantly surgical (174 patients), and relatively few patients received adjunctive, postoperative irradiation (27 patients). Cumulative 10-year survival was 75%, 43%, and 15% for stage I, stage II, and stage III and IV patients, respectively, and cause-specific survival at 10 years was as high as 94% in patients with stage I disease. Only the clinical stage had a significant impact on survival. Neither survival, regional metastases (16 patients; 11%), nor distant dissemination (64 patients; 43%) was predictable on the basis of tumor grade alone. The prognosis in patients with early stage lesions may be better than has been appreciated.     

Resection of hepatic metastases of colorectal carcinoma: 20 years' experience

We analyzed the results and the prognostic factors influencing survival in 79 patients with metastases of colorectal carcinoma who underwent hepatectomy at our hospital in the 20-year period 1978–1998. The 5- and 10-year survival rates were 49% and 33%, respectively. Repeat hepatectomy was done 29 times in 24 patients with relapse of liver tumors. The 3- and 5-year survival rates after repeat hepatectomy were 58% and 14%, respectively. The distribution of and number of tumors in the liver, the disease-free interval from initial to second hepatectomy, and the presence of extrahepatic disease were significantly associated with survival (P < 0.01). Seven of 43 patients who underwent hilar node dissection had metastasis and 2 of them survived for more than 5 years. Repeat hepatectomy and hilar lymphadenectomy may be effective in prolonging the sur-vival of selected patients with hepatic metastasis. We also discuss prognostic factors after extensive surgery for hepatic metastases of colorectal carcinoma. Received for publication on Aug. 30, 1998; accepted on Nov. 2, 1998