Open AccessProlonged survival in selected patients following surgical resection for pulmonary metastasis from hepatocellular carcinoma
Author(s) -
Lam C.M.,
Lo C.M.,
Yuen W.K.,
Liu C.L.,
Fan S.T.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
british journal of surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.202
H-Index - 201
eISSN - 1365-2168
pISSN - 0007-1323
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2168.1998.00846.x
Subject(s) - medicine , hepatocellular carcinoma , surgical resection , metastasis , resection , surgery , carcinoma , hepatectomy , oncology , radiology , cancer
Background Pulmonary metastasis is the commonest site of extrahepatic spread from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of surgical management in patients with solitary pulmonary metastases from HCC. Methods This was a retrospective study of patients with HCC admitted for hepatectomy from July 1972 to June 1995. The records of patients who had a pulmonary resection for histologically proven pulmonary recurrence after curative hepatectomy were selected for analysis. Results In the study interval, 380 patients with HCC underwent hepatectomy. Some 48 patients (12·6 per cent) developed pulmonary metastases documented pathologically or radiologically. Nine (seven men and two women) were suitable for curative pulmonary resection. The median disease‐free survival between hepatectomy and appearance of the lung metastasis was 21 months. The median survival after pulmonary resection was 42 months, and the 1‐, 2‐ and 5‐year survival rates were 100, 78 and 67 per cent respectively. Conclusion Pulmonary resection for metastases from HCC resulted in long‐term survival in these highly selected patients. © 1998 British Journal of Surgery Society Ltd