Analysis of hepatic resection of metastasis originating from gastric adenocarcinoma

Few patients with metastatic gastric cancer have disease that is amenable to curative surgery. Thus far, little is known about liver surgery for metastases arising from gastric adenocarcinoma and prognostic factors. Of 73 patients operated on between 1980 and 1999 for noncolorectal, non-neuroendocrine hepatic metastases, 15 underwent liver resection for gastric adenocarcinoma metastasis. Ten patients underwent synchronous hepatic resection and five underwent metachronous hepatic surgery after a median diseasefree interval of 10 months (range 6.1 to 47.3 months). None of the patients died within the first 30 days after surgery, and the in-hospital mortality rate was 6.7%. Among patients in the synchronous group, 26.7% experienced major complications mainly associated with gastric surgery. Overall median survival was 8.8 months (range 4 to 51 months); two patients survived more than 3 years. Univariate analysis reealed that the appearance of liver metastasis synchronous vs. metachronous), the distribution of liver metastases (unilobar vs. bilobar), and the primary tumor site (proximal vs. distal) were marginally signifiant predictive factors regarding overall survival. Because of its high morbidity, synchronous liver resecion for metastases originating from gastric adenocarcinoma is rarely followed by survival longer than 2 years. Primary tumor localization within the proximal third of the stomach and bilobar liver involvement appear to be predictive of poor outcome. On the other hand, curative resection of metachronous liver metastases may allow long-term survival in selected patients.