Successful surgical management of pulmonary and adrenal metastases from hepatocellular carcinoma.

This article reports a rare case of successful surgery for both lung and adrenal metastases after hepatic resection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A 55-year-old Japanese man with a 5-year history of chronic liver disease was admitted with an elevated serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) value and a liver tumour detected by ultrasonography. Hepatic angiogram showed a tumour stain with the right hepatic vein as a venous drain from the tumour. He underwent posterior-inferior subsegmentectomy of the right hepatic lobe following preoperative chemoembolization. Sixteen months after the first operation, he received pulmonary resection for a solitary metastasis in the right lung. A further 10 months later, a metastatic tumour was detected in the left adrenal gland without any recurrent or metastatic foci, and he underwent left adrenalectomy as his third operation. He is still alive, 8 months after his last operation, and 34 months after hepatic resection, with a normal value of AFP and without any recurrent or metastatic foci. This may be the first report of a patient who underwent successful surgery for pulmonary and adrenal metastases of HCC.     

Surgical treatment for peritoneal metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma after hepatectomy--a case report

A patient was a 61-year-old male. In December 2005, abdominal computer tomography (CT) revealed at a 4 cm-in-diameter early enhanced lesion in S6 and a 1.5 cm-in-diameter early enhanced lesion in S5/8, which were diagnosed as hepatocellular carcinomas. He underwent S6 partial hepatectomy and S5/8 partial hepatectomy. However, multiple lung metastatic lesions and a peritoneal metastatic lesion were detected by computer tomography (CT) in July 2007, led to a diagnosis as recurrence of HCC. Although he received S-1/IFN-α combination systemic chemotherapy, no effect was shown and peritoneal metastatic lesion grew to 10 cm-in-diameter. We thought that this lesion might lead to ileus, therefore, he received peritoneal tumor resection in December 2007. Multiple lung metastases grew and he was dead 13 months after the surgery: no abdominal symptom and sign due to ileus was noted. In this case, it was considered that a resection of peritoneal metastasis might be attempted to prevent ileus, even if there were other metastatic lesions, such as multiple lung metastases.     

Surgical treatment for peritoneal dissemination of hepatocellular carcinoma after percutaneous ethanol injection therapy--a case report

We report a 73-year-old man who underwent surgery for peritoneal dissemination of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after percutaneous ethanol injection therapy (PEIT). He received posterior segmentectomy for HCC in 1997. Four years after the first hepatic resection, a recurrence lesion in the right caudal lobe of the liver was detected by computed tomography (CT). He underwent percutaneous ethanol injection therapy (PEIT) and transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE). He was referred to our hospital for further treatment. Abdominal CT revealed an early-enhanced lesion (3.2 cm in size) in the right caudal lobe of the liver and an irregular mass lesion (1.5 cm in size) in the cranial. We diagnosed the disease as recurrent HCC and carried out partial hepatectomy, removal of peritoneal dissemination and a reconstruction of the inferior vena cava. A histological feature of the tumor was a moderately differentiated HCC, and there was no lymphatic structure in the tumor, and no connection to the residual liver. Therefore, we diagnosed the tumor as peritoneal dissemination of HCC. We think that this is a rare but a serious complication of PEIT and every effort should be attempted to prevent this complication, especially in the treatment of superficial and larger HCC.     

Three cases in which CR was obtained in residual metastatic lesions by intrahepatic arterial infusion after resection of hepatic metastases from colorectal carcinoma

We report three cases in which CR was maintained after infusion (WHF) was performed for residual metastatic lesions following resection of hepatic metastases from colorectal cancer. (Case 1) A 55-year-old female with sigmoidal cancer and hepatic metastases, H2 (4 lesions). Right lobectomy and partial resection of the left lobe were performed. On the third month following surgery, CT showed two lesions in the lateral segment of the left lobe, and WHF was then begun. One month after the start of infusion, the lesions calcified and following that, disappeared. Infusion was performed for 12 months and the total amount of 5-FU was 52.8 g. Eight years and nine months following surgery, the patient is currently alive and without recurrence. (Case 2) A 65-year-old male with rectal cancer and hepatic metastases, H3 (6 lesions). Four lesions were removed by hepatic resection; however, 2 deep lesions in S4 and S5 were left unresected. WHF was begun one month following surgery, following which the lesions were undetectable by either CT or US. Infusion was performed for 18 months and the total amount of 5-FU was 81 g. Two years and ten months after surgery an isolated lung metastasis was discovered in the right lung and a thoracoscopic partial resection was performed. Eight years and four months following the original surgery and five years and four months following the lung operation the patient is alive and without recurrence. (Case 3) A 55-year-old male with rectal cancer and subsequently discovered hepatic metastases, H3 (5 lesions). Resection of the lateral segment and a partial resection of the right lobe were performed; however, one deep lesion in S7 was left unresected. WHF was begun on the 10th day following surgery. At about eight months there was a change in shape and shrinkage of the lesion. Infusion was performed for 11 months and the total amount of 5-FU was 48 g. Ten months following surgery, CT showed a new lesion in S7 and a partial resection was performed. Intraoperative US confirmed the disappearance of the previous residual lesion in S7. One year and one month following the original surgery, the patient is alive and without recurrence. From these results, it is suggested that with postoperative WHF it is possible to obtain a complete cure in cases of colorectal cancer with hepatic metastases without the resection of all lesions. (*WHF: 5-FU 1,000 mg/m2/5 hrs/week).     

A long-term survival case after two resections of the peritoneal metastasis from hepatocellular carcinoma

A 70-year-old man with type B hepatitis had ruptured HCC in segment 5, and he underwent with TAE at other hospital in June 2007. Then, he was introduced to our hospital in July 2007. Partial hepatectomy( S5) was performed in August 2007 (pT2N0M0, Stage II). Afterward, he underwent TACE therapy twice because of multiple intrahepatic recurrences. Abdominal CT revealed a viable recurrence lesion (S5), and peritoneal dissemination (surface of S3) in June 2009. We carried out partial hepatectomy (S5), and removal of peritoneal dissemination because of good liver function and without any other extra hepatic recurrence in July 2009. Histologically, the intrahepatic lesion( S5) and the S3 surface lesion were diagnosed as moderately differentiated HCC. In July 2010, abdominal CT revealed three lesions of peritoneal dissemination (right subphrenic lesion, hepatic flexure of the colon, neighborhood of left ureter, then the second removal of peritoneal dissemination was performed. In January 2011, he had multiple lung metastatic lesions, and multiple bone metastatic lesions were occurred in March 2011, then his general condition was getting worse. In April 2011, he was dead 46 months after the first TAE therapy for ruptured HCC, or 21 months after the first resection of peritoneal dissemination. Surgical resection of peritoneal dissemination of HCC may improve a survival for patients whose intrahepatic lesion is contorollable.     

A case of gastric cancer with multiple liver metastases responding to combined hepatic arterial and aortic infusion chemotherapy with cisplatinum, 5-fluorouracil,and levofolinate calcium

A 64-year-old man who had type IIc-like advanced gastric cancer with multiple liver metastases was admitted to our hospital. He underwent combined hepatic arterial and aortic infusion chemotherapy with cisplatinum (CDDP), 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), and levofolinate calcium (l-LV). After 4 weeks (2 courses) of chemotherapy, a partial response was achieved for the hepatic metastasis. Therefore, distal gastrectomy, right hepatectomy combined with caudate lobectomy, partial resection of the hepatic right lobe, and microwave coagulation therapy of the residual tumor of the hepatic right lobe were performed. With this operation, all tumor cells were removed or killed. Histopathologically, almost all of the primary tumor was fibrous tissue, and only a few sections of moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma observed in the subserosal layer. In the periphery of the metastatic lesion, residual well to moderately differentiated adenocarcinomas were observed, and in the center, only necrotic tissue was seen. The postoperative course was uneventful. Now, one year and seven months after the operation, he is followed as an outpatient. Combined hepatic arterial and aortic infusion chemotherapy with CDDP, 5-FU, and l-LV is thought to be an effective regimen for advanced gastric cancer with multiple liver metastases.     

A case of HCC with inferior caval vein tumor thrombus and multiple pulmonary metastases that remarkably responded to combination therapy of TS-1 and interferon-alpha

A 56-year-old male was admitted to our hospital for hepatoma with portal vein thrombus and multiple intrahepatic metastases. He underwent an extended left lobectomy and a partial resection of the liver in May 2002. After two weeks from the surgery, he received intra arterial 5-FU infusion chemotherapy combined with subcutaneous interferon-alpha injection to treat the lesions in the residual liver. Four months after the surgery, hepatic vein tumor thrombus appeared in the remnant liver and it extended to the inferior caval vein. And another 4 months later, multiple pulmonary metastases were detected with computed tomography and they grew rapidly in the view of their sizes and numbers. Because the combined therapy of 5-FU/interferon-alpha was not effective to distant metastases, we started a new regimen of oral administration of TS-1 and a subcutaneous interferon-alpha injection. After 1 treatment cool, hepatic vein thrombus was markedly reduced the size and vascularity in the CT. Multiple pulmonary metastases also decreased in their sizes and numbers. No adverse effect was seen during this treatment. It was suggested that a combination therapy of TS-1 and interferon-alpha may be one of the most effective treatment modalities against advanced HCC with distant metastasis.     

Multiple hepatocellular carcinomas successfully treated by combined therapies

We report a case of advanced multiple hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC), successfully treated by combination therapies of transarterial chemoembolization (TAE), operation and radiofrequency ablation therapy (RFA). A 59 year-old man was detected with an increased serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level and an ultrasonography (US) revealed three nodules of HCC at the right lobe in August 1998. He was successfully treated with a combination therapy of TAE and percutaneous ethanol injection therapy (PEIT) at the beginning. However, HCC had recurred quite often. TAE had been repeated for twelve times before right trisegmentectomy was performed in November 2002. Thirteen months after the operation, CT revealed a new lesion at subsegment 3, which was treated by RFA. Furthermore, a metastatic single lesion had appeared at the left lung, which was resected. He has still been well for 82 months since the first detection of HCC.     

Successful treatment of multiple hepatocellular carcinoma with tumor thrombi in the major portal branches by intraarterial 5-fluorouracil perfusion chemotherapy combined with subcutaneous interferon-alpha and hepatectomy

We experienced a patient who received successful treatment for multiple hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) nodules, with tumor thrombi in the major portal branches, with intraarterial 5-fluorouracil perfusion chemotherapy combined with subcutaneous interferon-alpha administration. The patient was a 50-year-old man with hepatitis C virus and HCC. The tumors consisted of a 5-cm main nodule in the right lobe (segment 8) and multiple intrahepatic metastases. The tumor also involved portal vein thrombosis throughout the right portal branch. After two cycles of interferon-alpha/5-fluorouracil combination chemotherapy, tumor markers demonstrated a decreasing tendency. Nine months after the initiation of this therapy, the tumors were limited to the right lobe and were surgically removed by S8 subsegmentectomy, S5 partial hepatectomy, and portal thrombectomy. The serum levels of both alpha-fetoprotein and protein induced by vitamin K absence II fell to normal levels after hepatic resection. Fifty-eight months after the first treatment, he is alive with several recurrent nodules in the liver. In conclusion, the interferon-alpha/5-fluorouracil combination therapy is a useful treatment for HCC in patients who have multiple intrahepatic metastases and portal vein thrombosis. In addition to this therapy, combined modality therapy including, for example, surgical resection, can sometimes have a dramatic therapeutic effect, shown by tumor markers reverting to normal levels.     

Successful treatment of multiple pulmonary and peritoneal recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma with bronchial artery infusion therapy and PEIT followed by surgery--a case report

A case of hepatocellular carcinoma, successfully treated with multimodal loco-regional treatments, is reported. An 80-year-old male presented with multiple pulmonary and peritoneal metastases 4 months after right heimihepatectomy for ruptured HCC. Bronchial artery infusion of mitomycin C induced pulmonary tumor regression and stabilization. Peritoneal tumor was treated by arterial infusion of SMANCS, followed by percutaneous injection of absolute ethanol, which ended in surgical removal in 28-postoperative month due to abscess formation. He had been well until right adrenal and left pulmonary metastases appeared. Resection of both metastases was carried out in 39-post hepatectomy month. Recurrent left pulmonary metastasis was treated with two sessions of bronchial artery infusion with no effect this time. Video-assisted partial resection of the left lung was performed in 54 post-hepatectomy month. But his AFP level kept rising. Eventually pulmonary metastasis recurred and tumor thrombus reached the left atrium 58 months after hepatectomy. He wanted no more treatment. He died of cerebral infarction caused by tumor thrombus. He enjoyed a good QOL for five years through multimodal loco-regional treatments.     

A case of successful surgical resection followed by S-1 administration for hepatocellular carcinoma with lung metastases and a tumor thrombus into right atrium

A case of a 68-year-old man with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is presented. He underwent partial liver resection for three times and transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) for three times. Follow-up CT revealed a recurrent hepatic surface mass with malignant extended into the inferior vena cava (IVC) and right atrium (RA). CT scan also revealed multiple metastatic nodules in bilateral lungs. The tumor thrombus into the RA and the hepatic surface mass were successfully treated with surgical resection. Pathological specimen allowed the diagnosis of poorly-differentiated HCC. Adjuvant chemotherapy with S-1 resulted in complete remission of lung metastases. Tumor markers showed a significant improvement after S-1 administration. This case report suggests that a surgical resection followed by S-1 administration would be effective for a patient with lung metastases and a tumor thrombus into IVC or RA.     

Multimodal treatment for adrenal metastases from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)

The patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with adrenal metastases are often accompanied with the metastasis from other sites, and their prognosis is poor. After 1999, we examined the prognosis and efficacy of the seven patients with drenal metastases from HCC. Four patients were surgically treated, and three of them received radiation therapy (RT). All of the 7 patients were men and the mean age was 72 years old (range: 53-77 years old). The mean interval from the initial treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma to the adrenal metastases was 46 months (1-95 months). If there was a good control observed in the intrahepatic lesion with no metastases besides adrenal glands, we selected a surgical resection of the metastatic adrenal glands. The mean overall survival time after the surgical treatment of the adrenal metastases was 23 months (7-54 months), and we considered it as a good prognosis. The mean progression free survival of the adrenal metastases was 15 months (5-30 months). Besides on such a good clinical outcome, we conclude that aggressive multimodal therapy including surgical resection of metastatic foci may be recommended if the patients with hepatocellular carcinoma have no other metastatic sites other than the adrenal gland and liver lesions are well-controlled.     

Multidisciplinary treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma with portal vein tumor thrombosis and adrenal/lung metastases

The patient was a 73-year-old male who was identified with an increase of serum PIVKA-II during a treatment for chronic hepatitis B. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) of 60 mm in diameter with satellite nodules was diagnosed in segment 8 of the liver. In addition, portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT) of the right branch (Vp3) and metastases to bilateral lung and right adrenal gland were recognized. He received serial treatments with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE), radiation therapy and hepatic arterial chemotherapy with reservoir for primary liver tumor and PVTT. Soon after the treatments, PVTT was reduced in size and the serum level of PIVKA-II was decreased to 57 mAU/ml. After three months, the level of PIVKA-II had increased again and the size of the right adrenal metastasis grew to 50 mm in diameter. He received TACE to the right adrenal metastasis and percutaneous transhepatic portal chemoembolization to prevent further growth of PVTT. In spite of several treatments, the therapeutic effect was insufficient. Therefore, we performed right adrenalectomy and radio-frequency ablation of HCC in the liver S8. After the surgery, he received two times of TACE and the viable tumor had disappeared on CT and MRI. Prognosis of HCC with PVTT and distant metastasis is very poor. The two-year survival rate is less than 10%. However, it is possible to improve the prognosis of advanced HCC by multidisciplinary treatment with surgical intervention, local chemotherapy and radiation therapy.     

Pulmonary adenocarcinoma metastatic to the gingiva

Gingival metastasis from lung cancer is very uncommon. We report a case of distant metastasis of pulmonary adenocarcinoma in the mandibular gingiva. A 54-year-old man was admitted to our hospital on September 1, 1997 with hemoptysis. Right upper lobectomy with mediastinal lymph node dissection was performed on September 16. On the 14th postoperative day, the patient complained of a gingival swelling. In the lower right premolar area, a wide pedunculated mass was seen on the mandibular gingiva. Excisional biopsy of the tumor was performed, and histopathological examination revealed that the tumor was a metastatic lesion from the pulmonary adenocarcinoma. The patient received 46.8 Gy of linac irradiation to the tumor area and the entire oral condition improved markedly. However, bilateral adrenal gland metastases were recognized, and left inguinal lymph node metastasis was detected 2 months after lung resection. He developed tumor metastases to multiple organs and died of respiratory failure on December 12, 1997. Received: October 7, 1998 / Accepted: March 8, 1999     

Long-term survival case after liver resection and postoperative hepatic arterial infusion for multiple liver metastases from rectal cancer

A 45-year-old man underwent a low anterior resection for rectal cancer [T3, N1, M0, Stage IIa: UICC]. He received a postoperative systemic chemotherapy with 5-FU and LV. Five months after the operation, multiple liver metastases were detected in the right hepatic lobe (S5, 6, 8). Right hepatectomy was performed. Seventeen courses of postoperative hepatic arterial infusion (HAI) chemotherapy (weekly high-dose 5-FU regimen) were performed without severe adverse events. He was still alive with no sign of recurrence for 69 months after hepatectomy. After liver resection for metastases of colorectal cancer, although a systemic chemotherapy has been mainly performed, HAI chemotherapy is one of the important options for prevention of local recurrence.     

A case of long-term survivor with multiple pulmonary metastases of HCC after hepatic resection

A 52-year-old male was admitted to our hospital with huge hepatoma of the right lobe. He underwent a right lobectomy of the liver in July 1999. After five months from the surgery, multiple recurrences in the liver and lung were revealed with Computed tomography (CT). TAE was performed for intrahepatic recurrence and a combination therapy, consisting of UFT and interferon-alpha, was started for pulmonary metastasis. Then 5-FU/CDDP/interferon-alpha therapy was given in 2001 and TS-1/interferon-beta therapy was given thereafter in 2002. Consequently, the patient survived for 31 months with no disturbance in quality of life. No intrahepatic recurrence was also detected during the survival period. It was suggested that a good prognosis may be expected, even in the HCC case with distant metastasis after hepatic resection, if the primary cite was curatively treated.     

Three-time resection of the rib metastasis from hepatocellular carcinoma after two hepatic resections--a case report

A 40s woman, who had undergone hepatic resection twice for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), was admitted to our hospital because of a tumor with pain on the right 9th rib. From the findings of chest computed tomography (CT), abdominal CT and bone scintigraphy, we diagnosed the rib metastasis of HCC without any other recurrences. Local resection of the right 9th rib was performed in July 2008. Histologically, the tumor of the rib was diagnosed as the metastasis of HCC. The patient's pain on the right rib was disappeared after the operation. After the rib resection, the recurrence of the remnant of the right 9th rib occurred in June 2009. Local resection of the rib was performed in July 2009. Afterward, the recurrence of the remnant of the right 9th rib occurred again in April 2010. Local resection of the tumor of the same rib was performed in May 2010. The patient is still alive five years after the first hepatectomy. For HCC patients whose intrahepatic lesion or other metastatic lesions are controllable and the metastatic bone lesion is solitary and easily resectable, a resection for bone metastasis from HCC is thus locally effective in patient's pain control.     

Retroperitoneal metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma - a case report

The patient was a 54-year-old man. He was an HBV carrier, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was detected for the first time in 2000. An operation was performed, but HCC recurred. After repeating the operation and transarterial chemo-embolization (TACE) for the recurrent HCC, a tumor was found in January 2009 on the ventral side of the right kidney, and we thought it was a retroperitoneal metastasis of HCC or peritoneal dissemination. He was enrolled in a trial of systemic chemotherapy, called "S-1 monotherapy for extrahepatic metastasis of HCC", but the tumor seemed progressive. Since he showed no other lesion, he was indicated for surgical resection. Intraoperatively, the tumor was localized between the duodenum and the right kidney, and was covered by the retroperitoneum. Pathological examination of the resected specimen revealed retroperitoneal metastasis of HCC. Intrahepatic recurrence was detected 6 months after the resection. Therefore, he underwent TACE, and he is currently (1 year after surgery) alive without any extrahepatic metastasis. We describe herein this case because retroperitoneal metastasis of HCC is very rare.     

A case of long-term survival after resection for postoperative solitary adrenal metastasis from esophageal adenocarcinoma

A 71-year-old man presented with chief complains of hoarseness and dysphagia. He was diagnosed to have an advanced esophageal adenocarcinoma in the middle thoracic esophagus for which chemoradiation therapy was started. Partial response was observed and he was referred to our hospital thereafter. After detailed examination, he underwent a subtotal esophagectomy followed by two-field lymphadenectomy in May 2001. Histopathological examination revealed a complete response. Ten months later, hematological examination showed a high serum CEA level and CT scan disclosed mediastinal lymph node recurrences. He received a course of systemic chemotherapy so called FP therapy and five months later, a course of combination chemotherapy with 700 mg/m2 5-FU on days 1-5 and 70 mg/m2 nedaplatin on day 1 was administered. Because the high serum CEA level sustained afterward, FDG-PET was undertaken in March 2003. The right adrenal gland showed an intense abnormal FDG uptake and CT scan detected a low density mass in the area. Since no metastases could be identified in other sites, right adrenalectomy was performed. Pathological finding was poorly-differentiated tubular adenocarcinoma. Five years and eleven months after adrenalectomy, he died of pneumonia with no signs of recurrence. Surgical resection may contribute to improving the prognosis of solitary adrenal metastasis of esophageal cancer without the other noncurative factors.     

Case report--a patient who has survived more than 4 years with repeated resection for bilateral adrenal metastasis from hepatocellular carcinoma

We report a patient with bilateral adrenal metastasis from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who has survived for a long period as a result of repeated resection. A 55-year-old male patient with C type hepatitis underwent transcatheter arterial chemo-embolization (TACE) for HCC in November 1997. There was no recurrence in the liver, but left adrenal metastasis was detected in January 1998, followed by right adrenal metastasis in November 1998. We performed surgical resection for bilateral adrenal metastasis in March 1999. The histological diagnosis was well approximately moderately differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma. A recurrence in the right adrenal gland was detected eight months later. As there was no distant metastasis, we performed re-operation in December 1999. Recurrence in the liver was detected in October 2000 and was treated by TACE. He has survived more than 4 years since the first detection of adrenal metastasis. We conclude that surgical treatment is useful for patients with adrenal metastasis who have no distant viable lesion.