RESULTS OF HEPATECTOMY FOR HUGE PRIMARY LIVER CANCER

From 1964 to 1991 , hepatectomy had been done in 166 cases of huge primary liver cancer (PLC) in our hospital.The tumor located in` the left lobe of the liver in 75 cases, right lobe in 75 cases and in the both lobes in 16 cases. The tumor size of these patients was 10 cm to 14. 9 cm in diameter in 109 cases, 15 cm to 20 cm in diameter in 45 cases, larger than 20 cm in 12 cases. The largest one was 28 cm × 26 cm. Hepatocellular carcinoma was verified in 93. 4% of these cases. Of them, 125 cases (75 3%) were associated with hepatic cirrhosis. Regular hepatectomy was done in 10 cases; irregular hepatectomy in 156 cases. The following techniques for the interruption of hepatic blood flow were used : continuous mattress suture, hepatic clamp ,temporary occlusion of the hepatic hilum, and microwave coagulation of liver parenchyma. In this series, 95 cases underwent radical resection and 71 cases palliative resection.The postoperative complications were jaundice and ascites in 18 cases, wound infection in 7 cases and right pleural effusion in 7 cases. Three cases died within 1 month after hepatectomy with an operative mortality of 1. 8%. The duration of follow up over 5 yearo was in 64 cases. The 5year survival rate was 17. 5%. All cases who underwent palliative resection died from 2 to 36 months after hepatectomy with an average survival time of 7 months.The biological features of huge PLC and the approaches to improve the prognosis were discussed.

Hepatectomy for patients with huge primary liver cancer in Hubei Province of China

Objective: To discuss the safety and feasibility of hep-atectomy for huge primary liver cancer (PLC).Methods: The effect of resection of huge PLC was ex-amined retrospectively. Some problems in resection ofhuge PLC were discussed.Results: Of 375 patients with huge PLC undergoinghepatectomy, 11 (2.9%) died in one month after op-eration. The 1-, 2-, 3-, 5- and 10-year survivalrates of the patients were 63.3%, 45.6%, 34.7%,16.5% and 1.8%, respectively. The effect of prolong-ing survival time was significant.Conclusion: Hepatectomy for huge PLC is safe, feasi-ble, and effective.

Impact of Operative and Peri-operative Factors on the Long-term Prognosis of Primary Liver Cancer Patients Undergoing Hepatectomy

This study examined the impact of the operative and peri-operative factors on the long-term prognosis of patients with primary liver cancer undergoing hepatectomy. A total of 222 patients with primary liver cancer who underwent hepatectomy were followed up from January 1986 to December 2010 at Chinese PLA General Hospital. The post-operative complication rate was 14.0% for all cases, 13.7% for hepatocellular carcinoma（HCC）, 10.0% for cholangiocarcinoma. The 1-, 3-, 5- and 10-year overall survival rates in patients with primary liver cancer after resection were 76.6%, 57.6%, 41.4%, and 21.0%. The survival rates were significantly higher in the HCC group than in the cholangiocarcinoma group（P=0.000）, in the non-anatomical resection group than in the anatomical resection group（P=0.005）, in the female group than in the male group（P=0.002）, in patients receiving no blood transfusion than in those who were given intra-operative blood transfusion（P=0.000）, in patients whose intra-operative blood loss was less than 400 m L than in those who intra-operatively lost more than 400 m L（P=0.000）. No significant difference was found in the survival rate between the HBs Ag-positive group and the HBs Ag-negative group（P=0.532）. Our study showed that anatomical resection, blood loss and blood transfusion were predictors of poor survival after hepatectomy for primary liver cancer patients, and concomitant hepatitis B virus infection bore no relation with the post-resection survival.

Factors related to pleural effusion following hepatectomy for primary liver cancer

BACKGROUND: Pleural effusion frequently complicates hepatectomy and multiple factors contribute to its development following hepatectomy for primary liver cancer. The purpose of this study was to evaluate these factors. METHODS: From March 2003 to May 2005, 228 consecutive patients with primary liver cancer underwent hepatectomy in our department were evaluated retrospectively to identify factors related to postoperative pleural effusion. RESULTS: Among the 228 patients, postoperative pleural effusions arose in 58 (25.4%). Univariate analysis showed significant differences in postoperative ascites, subphrenic collection, Pringle manoeuvre length, drainage amount on postoperative day 1, albumin level on postoperative day 7, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level on postoperative days I and 3, prealbumin level on postoperative days 3 and 7, and tumor size (P<0.05). Ordinal regression analysis revealed that subphrenic collection, drainage on postoperative day I and ALT plus prealbumin on postoperative days I and 3 were statistically significantly related to postoperative pleural effusion (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Subphrenic collection and operative injury to the liver appeared to be significantly related to pleural effusion after hepatectomy for primary liver cancer.

Survival analysis of breast cancer liver metastasis treated by hepatectomy: A propensity score analysis for Chinese women in Hong Kong

Background: Survival of patients with breast cancer liver metastasis is very poor. This study aimed to analyze the survival outcome of hepatectomy for this patient population. Methods: From January 1995 to December 2014, 2522 patients with liver cancer received hepatectomy at our hospital. Twenty-one of them, all female, received the operation for breast cancer liver metastasis. Performance was compared with patients with colorectal liver metastasis treated with hepatectomy after propensity score analysis in a ratio of 1:3. Results: Twenty-one patients received hepatectomy for breast cancer. After propensity score matching, 63 patients who had hepatectomy for colorectal cancer were selected for comparison. There was no significant difference in immediate or short-term outcomes between the two groups of patients in terms of operative time, blood loss and surgical morbidities. All patients with breast cancer had R0 resection. No hospital death occurred. After hepatectomy, the 1-, 3- and 5-year overall survival rates were 100.0%, 58.9% and 58.9% respectively in patients with breast cancer. The 1-, 3- and 5-year overall survival rates were 95.0%, 57.2% and 39.7% respectively in patients with colorectal cancer (P = 0.572). On multivariate analysis, triple negative status was the only independent poor prognostic factor in breast cancer liver metastasis (OR = 6.411;95% CI: 1.351–30.435;P = 0.019). Conclusions: Hepatectomy is a safe and effective way of treating breast cancer liver metastasis at experienced centers where multidisciplinary adjuvant treatments are available. It can be considered more frequently as part of the multidisciplinary care for this patient population.

Hepatectomy in the treatment of very big primary liver cancer: report of 86 cases

Objective: To study the indications for resection ofvery big primary liver cancer and the operative re-sults.Methods: From January 1985 to June 1996, 86 pa-tients with very big primary liver cancer (≥15cm indiameter) underwent hepatectomy in our hospital.The volume of bleeding and blood transfusion wasrecorded during the operation. After the operation,the draining quantity from their abdominal cavities,and the days of transfusion and hospitalization wererecorded. The occurrence of complications and sur-vival time of the patient were followed up.Results: The postoperative mortality was 3.48% andthe occurrence rate of complications was 31.40%, whichwas significantly correlated with preoperative lowerlevel of serum albumin or the elevated γ-globulin lev-el and the amount of resected liver tissue. But their liverfunction before operation was fairly good, the 1-, 3-and 5-year survival rates after hepatectomy were58.2%, 35.7% and 17.64%.Conclusions: Patients with very big primary liver can-cer, should be subjected to hepatectomy if their liverfunction before operation are normal and the marginsare distinct between the tumor and liver tissues. Afterthe operation, other treatments are suitable for goodeffects.

Prevention and management of pleural effusion following hepatectomy in primary liver cancer

Postoperative pleural effusion occurs frequently after hepatectomy. The risk factors, prevention and management of postoperative pleural effusion in patients with primary liver cancer (PLC) who have undergone hepatectomy and the value of the argon beam coagulator (ABC) for the prevention of pleural effusion are studied. METHODS:A total of 523 patients with PLC at our institution who had had right hepatectomy from July 2000 to June 2004 were studied retrospectively. Comparative analysis was made to identify the factors contributing to postoperative pleural effusion and the efficacy of various managements. RESULTS:Of the 523 patients whose livers were dissociated using argon beam cutting and/or coagulation, 20(3.8%) developed pleural effusions;whereas in the other 467 patients underwent hepatectomy with suture ligation of the diaphragmatic secondary wound surface during the same period, 49(10.5%) had pleural effusion (P<0.01). The factors contributing to postoperative pleural effusion included subphrenic collection, postoperative hepatic insufficiency with ascites, duration of hepatic occlusion and underlying cirrhosis. CONCLUSIONS: Dissociation of the liver by argon beam cutting and/or coagulation can save suture ligation of the diaphragmatic secondary wound surface and may also prevent postoperative pleural effusion. Pleural drainage using an indwelling central-venous-catheter (CVC) in the pleural cavity is safe and efficacious.

Associating liver partition and portal vein ligation for staged hepatectomy in the treatment of colorectal cancer liver metastases

Colorectal cancer(CRC)is a common malignancy of the digestive system.Colorectal liver cancer metastasis(CRLM)occurs in approximately 50%of the patients and is the main cause of CRC mortality.Surgical resection is currently the most effective treatment for CRLM.However,given that the remnant liver volume after resection should be adequate,only a few patients are suitable for radical resection.Since Dr.Hans Schlitt first performed the associating liver partition and portal vein ligation for staged hepatectomy(ALPPS)for CRLM in 2012,ALPPS has received considerable attention and has continually evolved in recent years.This review explains the technical origin of the ALPPS procedure for CRLM and evaluates its efficacy,pointing to its favorable postoperative outcomes.We also discuss the patient screening strategies and optimization of ALPPS to ensure long-term survival of patients with CRLM in whom surgery cannot be performed.Finally,further directions in both basic and clinical research regarding ALPPS have been proposed.Although ALPPS surgery is a difficult and high-risk technique,it is still worth exploration by experienced surgeons.

RESULTS OF HEPATECTOMY FOR 600 CASES WITH PRIMARY LIVER CANCER

Hepatic resection bad been Performed in 600 cases with Primary liver canter(PLC) in our hospital from 1964 to 1993. Among them, 24 cases underwent second hepatic resection because of tumor recurrence. The ratio of male to female was 8.0:1. Most of the patients were 40 to 59 years old and the age ranged from 8 to 78 years old. The positive rate of AFP was 57.4 %(>400μg/L). Of them, 84.4% were associated with hepatic cirrhosis. Hepatocellular carcinoma was verified in 91.6% of these cases. Small tumor(<5 cm in diameter)was found in 130 cases(21.7%). In this series, 10 cases underwent semi-hepatectomy and 590 cases underwent irregular hepatectomy. Spontaneous tumor rupture was found in 29 cases. In 13 of 600 cases, hepatectomy was done after TAE(transcatheter hepatic arterial chemoembolization). Six of 600 cases underwent second stage hepatectomy since the tumors could not be resected during laparotomy. After multimodality therapy,including tumor ethanol injection, microwave tumor coagulation and hepatic artery chemoembolization, these tumors became small and subsequently resected. In these 600 cases, 24 cases died within one month after hepatectomy with a mortality of 4.0%. The most common cause of death was hepatic failure. The 1-, 3-, 5- and 10year survival rates were 61.9%, 40.2%, 33.0% and 29.2%,respectively in the whole series and 87.8%, 69.4%, 54.0% and 43.0%, respectively in the patients with small tumor.

Risk factors for post-hepatectomy liver dysfunction in primary liver cancer patients with concurrent hepatic schistosomiasis and chronic hepatitis

Objective:The purpose of this study was to analyze risk factors for development of post-hepatectomy liver dysfunction in primary liver cancer(PLC)patients with concurrent hepatic schistosomiasis and chronic hepatitis.Methods:A retrospective analysis of 73 PLC patients with concurrent hepatic schistosomiasis and chronic hepatitis,of which 16 patients developed liver dysfunction(persistent ascites or pleural effusion or occurrence of liver-related potentially fatal complications)following hepatectomy,was performed.After clinical characteristics were recorded,preoperative liver function parameters and surgery-related parameters in these patients were assessed.Seventeen potential risk factors for post-hepatectomy liver dysfunction were identified.The association between these potential risk factors and post-hepatectomy liver dysfunction then was analyzed.Results:Univariate analysis showed that liver cirrhosis,intraoperative blood loss,and preoperative total bilirubin were associated with the development of post-hepatectomy liver dysfunction.Multivariate logistic regression analysis of these three factors revealed that intraoperative blood loss≥600 mL and cirrhosis were two independent risk factors for post-hepatectomy liver dysfunction in PLC patients with concurrent hepatic schistosomiasis and chronic hepatitis.Conclusion:Keeping intraoperative blood loss below 600 mL can help avoid the development of post-hepatectomy liver dysfunction in liver cancer patients with concurrent hepatic schistosomiasis and chronic hepatitis.For patients with concomitant liver cirrhosis,every effort should be made to minimize potential liver function impairment induced by other adverse factors.

A clinical study on salvage hepatectomy for treating recurrent liver cancer after radiofrequency ablation

Objective We studied the efficacy of salvage hepatectomy for treating recurrent hepatic cancer after radiofrequency ablation （RFA）. Methods A retrospective analysis of 67 patients who had recurrent liver cancer after RFA treatment and received salvage hepatectomy in the Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Southwest Hospital, Third Mili- tary Medical University （China）, from January 2006 to January 2014, was performed. The analysis included patient gender, age, hepatitis type, alpha-fetoprotein （AFP）, and TNM stage prior to RFA and salvage hepatectomy, overall survival rates, and tumor-free survival rates after salvage hepatectomy. Results Among the 67 patients, there were 57 cases of hepatitis B, two cases of hepatitis C, and eight cases did not have hepatitis. AFP levels in patients ranged from 3 to 4521 ng/mL （median 33 ng/mL）. Before RFA, 54 cases were stage I tumors, and 13 were stage II tumors. Tumor sizes varied from 0.82 to 4.83 cm （median 3.0 cm）. In 20 cases, one RFA was performed, and for 47 cases, RFA was repeated. RFA- ablated region diameters ranged from 3.8 to 5.2 cm （median 4.5 cm）. The interval between the salvage surgical resection and RFA was 3-37 months. Before salvage hepatectomy, 23 stage I tumors, 12 stage II tumors, and 32 stage III tumors were present （size ranged 4.83-11.84 cm; median 6.3 cm）. For salvage hepatectomy, laparotomy was performed for 56 cases, and laparoscopy was performed for 28 cases. Inflow clamping was performed for 39 cases （15-45 rain）. Surgery was 219-370 rain and intraoperative blood loss was 100-2100 mL. For 13 cases, intraoperative blood transfusion was required. Tumor pathological data revealed 31,35, and 1 poorly, moderately, and well differentiated tumors, respectively. No patients died due to operative complications, and hospital stays were 8-10 days. Overall and tumor-free survival rates were 85% and 79% for 1 year, 50% and 20% for 3 years, and 39% and 19% for 5 years, respectively. Kaplan- Meier analysis and Cox regression confirmed that tumor number and size prior to salvage liver cancer were risk factors affecting survival. Conclusion Patients who received RFA to treat early-stage liver cancer with postoperative recurrent stage I tumors have satisfactory outcomes with salvage hepatectomy.

A Clinical Investigation into the Factors Influencing the Prognosis of Patients with Primary Liver Cancer after Hepatectomy

Objective To explore the factors influencing the prognosis of patients with primary liver cancer(PLC) after hepatectomy on purpose to provide the preventive measures for improving the long-term effect.Methods All of the 189 patients who underwent hepatectomy with PLC from May,1994 to January,1998 were included by reviewing their clinical pathological characteristics and treatments. Totally, 22 factors contributed to the long-term survival rate(SR)and the disease-free SR were analysed . All patients were followed up at least 5 years. Results The 3- and 5-year cumulative SRs in the total group were 63% and 45% respectively. The 3- and 5-year SRs and disease-free SRs in the curative resection (CR) group (n=162) were 67%,47%,and 45% and 26% respectively. It was showed that the way by which a tumor was found, tumor size, portal thrombi, satellite nodule, cirrhosis type, TNM stage, tumor envelope, recurrence and treatment, vascular exclusion and transfusion, differentiation grade and CR were prognostic factors by individual variable analysis. A multivariable analysis showed that CR , tumor size and reoperation were significant factors associated with the prognosis. Conclusion The type of CR and tumor size are determinants influencing the prognosis. Early diagnosis of small carcinoma and CR as soon as possible is essential to improving the prognosis of PLC. Avoiding transfusion and controlling the progress of cirrhosis are expected to improve the disease-free SR.

Preoperative selection of patients with colorectal cancerliver metastasis for hepatic resection

Surgical resection of colorectal liver metastases(CRLM) has a well-documented improvement in survival. To benefit from this intervention, proper selection of patients who would be adequate surgical candidates becomes vital. A combination of imaging techniques may be utilized in the detection of the lesions. The criteria for resection are continuously evolving; currently, the requirements that need be met to undergo resection of CRLM are: the anticipation of attaining a negative margin(R0 resection), whilst maintaining an adequate functioning future liver remnant. The timing of hepatectomy in regards to resection of the primary remains controversial; before, after, or simultaneously. This depends mainly on the tumor burden and symptoms from the primary tumor. The role of chemotherapy differs according to the resectability of the liver lesion(s); no evidence of improved survival was shown in patients with resectable disease who received preoperative chemotherapy. Presence of extrahepatic disease in itself is no longer considered a reason to preclude patients from resection of their CRLM, providing limited extra-hepatic disease, although this currently is an area of active investigations. In conclusion, we review the indications, the adequate selection of patients and perioperative factors to be considered for resection of colorectal liver metastasis.

Systematic review of the outcomes of surgical resection for intermediate and advanced Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage hepatocellular carcinoma:A critical appraisal of the evidence

AIM To perform a systematic review to determine the survival outcomes after curative resection of intermediate and advanced hepatocellular carcinomas(HCC).METHODS A systematic review of the published literature was performed using the PubM ed database from 1 st January 1999 to 31 st Dec 2014 to identify studies that reported outcomes of liver resection as the primary curative treatment for Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer(BCLC) stage B or C HCC. The primary end point was to determine the overall survival(OS) and disease free survival(DFS) of liver resection of HCC in BCLC stage B or C in patients with adequate liver reserve(i.e., Child's A or B status). The secondary end points were to assess the morbidity and mortality of liver resection in large HCC(defined as lesions larger than 10 cm in diameter) and to compare the OS and DFS after surgical resection of solitary vs multifocal HCC.RESULTS We identified 74 articles which met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed in this systematic review. Analysis of the resection outcomes of the included studies were grouped according to(1) BCLC stage B or C HCC,(2) Size of HCC and(3) multifocal tumors. The median 5-year OS of BCLC stage B was 38.7%(range 10.0-57.0); while the median 5-year OS of BCLC stage C was 20.0%(range 0.0-42.0). The collective median 5-year OS of both stages was 27.9%(0.0-57.0). In examining the morbidity and mortality following liver resection in large HCC, the pooled RR for morbidity [RR(95%CI) = 1.00(0.76-1.31)] and mortality [RR(95%CI) = 1.15(0.73-1.80)] were not significant. Within the spectrum of BCLC B and C lesions, tumors greater than 10 cm were reported to have median 5-year OS of 33.0% and multifocal lesions 54.0%.CONCLUSION Indication for surgical resection should be extended to BCLC stage B lesions in selected patients. Further studies are needed to stratify stage C lesions for resection.

Hepatocellular carcinoma:Surgical perspectives beyond the barcelona clinic liver cancer recommendations

The barcelona clinic liver cancer(BCLC)staging system has been approved as guidance for hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)treatment guidelines by the main Western clinical liver associations.According to the BCLC classification,only patients with a small single HCC nodule without signs of portal hypertension or hyperbilirubinemia should undergo liver resection.In contrast,patients with intermediate-advanced HCC should be scheduled for palliative therapies,even if the lesion is resectable.Recent studies report good short-term and long-term outcomes in patients with intermediate-advanced HCC treated by liver resection.Therefore,this classification has been criticised because it excludes many patients who could benefit from curative resection.The aim of this review was to evaluate the role of surgery beyond the BCLC recommendations.Safe liver resection can be performed in patients with portal hypertension and well-compensated liver function with a 5-year survival rate of 50%.Surgery also offers good long-term result in selected patients with multiple or large HCCs with a reported 5-year survival rate of over 50%and 40%,respectively.Although macrovascular invasion is associated with a poor prognosis,liver resection provides better long-term results than palliative therapies or best supportive care.Recently,researchers have identified several genes whose altered expression influences the prognosis of patients with HCC.These genes may be useful for classifying the biological behaviour of different tumours.A revision of the BCLC classification should be introduced to provide the best treatment strategy and to ensure the best prognosis in patients with HCC.

Grey zone in the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer Classification for hepatocellular carcinoma: Surgeons' perspective

Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) is the sixth most common cancer and the third most common cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. The Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer(BCLC) classification has been endorsed as the optimal staging system and treatment algorithm for HCC by the European Association for the Study of Liver Disease and the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease. However, in real life, the majority of patients who are not considered ideal candidates based on the BCLC guideline still were performed hepatic resection nowadays, which means many hepatic surgeons all around the world do not follow the BCLC guidelines. The accuracy and application of the BCLC classification has constantly been challenged by many clinicians. From the surgeons' perspectives, we herein put forward some comments on the BCLC classification concerning subjectivity of the assessment criteria, comprehensiveness of the staging definition and accuracy of the therapeutic recommendations. We hope to further discuss with peers and colleagues with the aim to make the BCLC classification more applicable to clinical practice in the future.

Complete or partial split in associating liver partition and portal vein ligation for staged hepatectomy: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND Associating liver partition and portal vein ligation for staged hepatectomy(ALPPS)has been adopted by liver surgeons in recent years.However,high morbidity and mortality rates have limited the promotion of this technique.Some recent studies have suggested that ALPPS with a partial split can effectively induce the growth of future liver remnant(FLR)similar to a complete split with better postoperative safety profiles.However,some others have suggested that ALPPS can induce more rapid and adequate FLR growth,but with the same postoperative morbidity and mortality rates as in partial split of the liver parenchyma in ALPPS(p-ALPPS).AIM To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis on ALPPS and p-ALPPS.METHODS A systematic literature search of PubMed,Embase,the Cochrane Library,and ClinicalTrials.gov was performed for articles published until June 2019.Studies comparing the outcomes of p-ALPPS and ALPPS for a small FLR in consecutive patients were included.Our main endpoints were the morbidity,mortality,and FLR hypertrophy rates.We performed a subgroup analysis to evaluate patients with and without liver cirrhosis.We assessed pooled data using a random-effects model.RESULTS Four studies met the inclusion criteria.Four studies reported data on morbidity and mortality,and two studies reported the FLR hypertrophy rate and one study involved patients with cirrhosis.In the non-cirrhotic group,p-ALPPS-treated patients had significantly lower morbidity and mortality rates than ALPPStreated patients[odds ratio(OR)=0.2;95%confidence interval(CI):0.07–0.57;P=0.003 and OR=0.16;95%CI:0.03-0.9;P=0.04].No significant difference in the FLR hypertrophy rate was observed between the two groups(P>0.05).The total effects indicated no difference in the FLR hypertrophy rate or perioperative morbidity and mortality rates between the ALPPS and p-ALPPS groups.In contrast,ALPPS seemed to have a better outcome in the cirrhotic group.CONCLUSION The findings of our study suggest that p-ALPPS is safer than ALPPS in patients without cirrhosis and exhibits the same rate of FLR hypertrophy.

Micrometastasis in surrounding liver and the minimal length of resection margin of primary liver cancer

AIM： To describe the distribution of micrometastases in the surrounding liver of patients with primary liver cancer （PLC）, and to describe the minimal length of resection margin （RM） for hepatectomy. METHODS： From November 2001 to March 2003, 120 histologically verfied PLC patients without macroscopic tumor thrombi or macrosatellites or extrahepatic metastases underwent curative hepatectomy. Six hundreds and twenty-nine routine pathological sections from these patients were re-examined retrospectively by light microscopy. In the prospective study, curative hepatectomy was performed from November 2001 to March 2003 for 76 histologically verfied PLC patients without definite macroscopic tumor thrombi or macrosatellites or extrahepatic metastases in preoperative imaging. Six hundreds and forty-five pathological sections from these patients were examined by light microscopy. The resected liver specimens were minutely examined to measure the resection margin and to detect the number of daughter tumor nodules, dominant lesions, and macroscopic tumor thrombi inside the lumens of the major venous system. The paraffin sections were microscopically examined to detect the microsatellites, microscopic tumor thrombi, fibrosis tumor capsules, as well as capsule invasion and the distance of histological spread of the micrometastases. RESULTS： In the retrospective study, 70 micrometastases were found in surrounding liver in 26 of the 120 cases （21.7%）. The farthest distance of histological micrometastasis was 3.5 mm, 5.3 mm and 6.0 mm in 95%, 99% and 100% cases, respectively. Macroscopic tumor thrornbi or rnacrosatellites were observed in 18 of 76 cases, and 149 rnicrometastases were found in the surrounding live in 25 （43.1%） of 58 cases with no macroscopic tumor thrombi. The farthest distance of histological micrometastasis was 4.5 mm, 5.5 mm and 6.0 mm in 95%, 99% and 100% cases, respectively. Two hundred and sixty-seven rnicrometastases were found in surrounding liver in 14 （77.8%） out of 18 cases with macroscopic tumor thrombi or macrosatellites. The farthest distance of histological micrometastasis was 18.5 mm, 18.5 mm and 19.0 mm in 95%, 99% and 100% cases, respectively. CONCLUSION： The required minimal length of RM is 5.5 mm and 6 mm respectively to achieve 99% and 100% rnicrometastasis clearance in surrounding liver of PLC patients without macroscopic tumor thrornbi or rnacrosatellites, and should be greater than 18.5 mm to obtain 99% rnicrometastasis clearance in surrounding liver of patients with macroscopic tumor thrornbi or rnacrosatellites.

Surgical Treatment of Liver Metastases from Gastric Cancer

Background: Hepatectomy for gastric metastases remains controversial. We aimed at assessing the surgical results, clinicopathological features of gastric cancer liver metastases (GCLM) and prognostic factors. Methods: The outcome of 28 consecutive patients with synchronous (n = 24) or metachronous (n = 4) GCLM was retrospectively analyzed. Curatively, initial hepatectomies such as segmentectomy and hemihepatectomy or non-anatomical limited liver resection less extensive than segmentectomy followed complete primary gastric cancer (GC) resections. Results: Median survival time was 16 months (range, 5 - 66 months). The actuarial overall 12-, 36-, and 60-month survival rates after hepatectomy were 67.8% (n = 19), 39.2% (n = 11), and 28.5% (n = 8), respectively. In multivariate analysis, absent GC serosal invasion-hazard ratio (HR) 1;95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2 - 9.9;P = 0.020;solitary LM-HR 1;95% CI 1.6 - 16.0;P = 0.005, and?curative liver resection with negative resection margin (R0)-HR 1, 95% CI 2.2 - 18.0;P = 0.001 were independent prognostic factors. Conclusions: Surgery of GCLM is a good indication in well-selected patients with an absent serosal invasion of primary tumour, single GCLM and attainment of R0 liver resection. For most GCLM patients, however, there are no other therapeutic modalities. Thus systemic chemotherapy remains the best hope for a longer patient’s survival and an improved individual quality of life.

Do liver metastases from gastric cancer contraindicate aggressive surgical resection?A 14-year single-center experience

BACKGROUND Advanced gastric cancer(GC)with liver metastasis is often characterized by multiple and bilobular metastases and may also be associated with extrahepatic metastatic lesions.Hence,many physicians consider that radical surgeries are contraindicated for liver metastases from GC(LMGC).According to the 2017 Japanese treatment guideline for GC,a smaller number of liver metastases without unresectable factors may be an indication for liver resection(LR)with curability.The actual 5-year overall survival(OS)rate ranges from 0 to 0.37.AIM To present the institutional indications for LR for LMGC and identify important factors for prognostic outcomes.METHODS In total,30 patients underwent LR for LMGC during a 14-year period,and we evaluated the clinical,surgical,and oncological findings.In all patients,radical surgery with intentional lymphadenectomy was performed for the primary GC.The median follow-up duration after the initial LR was 33.7 mo,and three patients with no recurrence died of causes unrelated to the LMGC.The OS and recurrence-free survival rates after the initial LR were assessed.RESULTS Seventeen patients had metachronous LMGC.The initial LR achieved curability in 29 patients.Perioperative chemotherapy was introduced in 23 patients.The median greatest LMGC dimension was 30 mm,and the median number of LMGC was two.Twenty-two patients had unilobular LMGC.The 5-year OS and recurrence-free survival rates were 0.48 and 0.28,respectively.The median survival duration and recurrence-free duration after the initial LR were 16.8 and 8.6 mo,respectively.Twenty-one patients developed recurrence after the initial LR.Additional surgeries for recurrence were performed in nine patients,and these surgeries clearly prolonged the patients’survival.Pathological serosal invasion was an independent predictor of a poor prognostic outcome after the initial LR.Aggressive LR may be indicated for carefully selected patients with LMGC.CONCLUSION Our results of LR for LMGC seem acceptable.Additional surgeries for recurrence after the initial LR might prolong OS.Pathological serosal invasion is important for poor prognostic outcomes.