TREATMENT AND SURVIVAL OF METASTATIC LIVER CANCER

Abstract

The treatment and prognosis of metastasis of gastric and colorectal cancer to the liver were investigated. Among patients with metastatic liver cancer from the stomach or colorectum during the period between January 1981 and June 1984, there were 36 (gastric cancer in nine cases and colorectal cancer in 27) who had undergone excision of the primary lesion in levels lower than P0 and N3. In cases of metastasis from the stomach, one patient who underwent repeated arterial embolization has been living for two years, but the others died within a year. On the other hand, in the case of metastasis from the colorectum, six of nine patients who underwent hepatectomy have been living for 15 to 41 months, while those who underwent other treatments did not result in survivals of more than two years. Although hepatectomy was performed in 11 cases only those with colorectal cancer have survived. The prognosis in cases with metastatic lesions of 2cm or less and who had undergone partial hepatectomy were particularly good. Although arterial embolization was performed in eight cases, it was effective in only two. In cases of intra-arterial or portal injection of carcinostatics, only one showed an effective result. Curative excision of the primary lesions and positive treatment of metastatic lesions in the liver are necessary for improving the prognosis of metastatic liver cancer from the stomach or colorectum.