Metachronous Pulmonary Metastases Research Articles

A case report: right upper lobectomy with middle lobe preservation after right lower lobectomy.

Few reports have described right upper and lower lobectomy with preservation of the middle lobe because of the risk of middle lobe torsion or emphysematous change. Herein we describe a successful result following lobectomy with preservation of the middle lobe for metachronous pulmonary metastasis originating from colon cancer in the right upper lobe after initial right lower lobectomy. A 69-year-old man who had undergone right lower lobectomy for pulmonary metastasis originating from colon cancer 3 years earlier was diagnosed as having suspected metachronous pulmonary metastasis in the right upper lobe. Because preoperative computed tomography (CT) indicated that the distance between the tumor and the entrance of the upper bronchus was 20 mm, it was considered difficult to achieve complete resection by a wedge resection or segmentectomy. Furthermore, preoperative CT demonstrated compensatory hypertrophy of the middle lobe and elevation of the right diaphragm, thus reducing the size of the thorax. Therefore, right upper lobectomy with middle lobe preservation was planned. The operation was performed using a totally thoracoscopic approach. Adhesion of the upper lobe to the chest wall was easily detached. As the middle lobe adhered to the chest wall, this served to prevent middle lobe torsion. The fissure between the upper and middle lobes had fused because of adhesion resulting from the initial lower lobectomy. Therefore, an ‘anterior fissureless approach’ was adopted to avoid any postoperative air leakage. There were no intraoperative problems, and the postoperative course was uneventful. The patient was discharged on postoperative day 6. Pathological examination of the specimen confirmed that the tumor was a metachronous pulmonary metastasis originating from the colon cancer. Four months after the operation, he had no requirement for additional oxygen support, and postoperative CT demonstrated a sufficiently expanded residual middle lobe without emphysematous change.

Lost in time pulmonary metastases of renal cell carcinoma: complete surgical resection of metachronous metastases, 18 and 15 years after nephrectomy.

Surgery is the only potentially curative therapeutic approach for renal cell carcinoma (RCC). RCC is resistant to most systemic therapies, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and hormonal therapy, having limited response to immunotherapy. Newer agents targeting angiogenesis, recommended in metastatic RCC, offer improved disease free and overall survival, stabilizing the disease, rather than having a curative effect.One of the most common sites of synchronous or metachronous RCC metastases is the lung. The five-year survival after resection of RCC pulmonary metastases ranged between 21% and 83%. Complete metastasectomy improves the prognosis and should be evaluated, despite improved results of newer systemic treatments.In surgically treated metachronous RCC pulmonary metastases, the reported disease free interval varied, but in the majority of cases it did not exceed five years. Surgical resection of RCC pulmonary metastases 15 or more years after nephrectomy is very rare. We report complete surgical resection of metachronous, multiple, unilateral clear cell RCC pulmonary metastases in two patients without enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes or extrapulmonary disease, 15 and 18 years after initial nephrectomy. Both patients had an uneventful recovery, and remain alive and well one year, and five months respectively, after metastasectomy.

Metachronous pulmonary metastasis after radical esophagectomy for esophageal cancer: prognosis and outcome

BackgroundFew reports discuss the outcome of pulmonary metastasis after radical esophagectomy for esophageal cancer. To clarify the data from such cases, we conducted a retrospective study on the clinical outcome of patients who developed pulmonary metastasis after undergoing radical esophagectomy.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed the prognosis and clinical outcome of 25 patients who developed metachronous pulmonary metastasis after esophagectomy for esophageal cancer.ResultsThe site of recurrence was pulmonary without extrapulmonary metastasis in 14 patients and extrapulmonary metastasis was observed in 11. Nineteen patients had multiple pulmonary metastasis and 6 had solitary pulmonary metastasis. Twenty-four of patients underwent systemic chemotherapy during initial treatment for metastatic lesions. Pulmonary metastasectomy was indicated in 5 patients with solitary metastasis. The actual 1-, 2- and 4-year survival rates were 60%, 36% and 27%, respectively. Gender, operative procedure, and postoperative morbidity were not significant prognostic factors. However, pathological staging of primary esophageal cancer was a significant prognostic factor. Survival was significantly worse in patients who did not undergo resection than in those who did. The number of pulmonary metastasis, complicated extrapulmonary metastasis and the time of recurrence were also significant prognostic factors.ConclusionsMultiple pulmonary metastases or complicated extrapulmonary metastasis were unfavorable prognostic factors for patients with pulmonary metastasis arising from esophageal cancer. Although, surgical intervention is not recommended in such cases, metastasectomy is an acceptable choice of treatment for solitary pulmonary metastasis.

A case of long-term survival after pulmonary resection for metachronous pulmonary metastasis of basaloid squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus

INTRODUCTIONBasaloid squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus (BSCE) is a rare malignancy among esophageal cancers. We reported a case of 63-year-old woman with metachronous pulmonary metastasis of BSCE, successfully treated by metastasectomy of the left lung. PRESENTATION OF CASEBiopsy specimens of upper gastrointestinal fiberscopy led to diagnosis of poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus. Computed tomography revealed metastatic lymph nodes surrounding the bilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve and no evidence of metastasis to distant organs. Curative esophagectomy with three-field lymph node dissection was performed through thoracoscopic approach. Pathological examination of the resected specimens led to diagnosis of BSCE with invasion into the submucosal layer of the esophageal wall. Two years later, a solitary oval-shaped pulmonary lesion of approximately 10mm was detected in the left lung. Wedge resection of the left upper lobe was performed via thoracoscopic approach. The postoperative course was uneventful. Histologically, the pulmonary lesion was diagnosed as metastatic BSCE. Follow-up indicated no recurrence 9 years after the initial surgery. DISCUSSIONSurgical intervention was acceptable on this case of solitary pulmonary metastasis. However, data are lacking about the efficacy of pulmonary resection for metachronous pulmonary metastasis of BSCE because the postoperative outcome is usually poor. The efficacy of surgical intervention for metastatic lesions of BSCE is debatable and requires further examination. CONCLUSIONAlthough the usefulness of surgical intervention for metastatic lesions from BSCE is controversial, the patients with metachronous solitary metastasis to the lung and without extrapulmonary metastasis would be good candidate for pulmonary resection.

複数回の肺転移切除と副腎転移切除を施行した胃癌術後長期生存中の1例

複数回の肺転移切除と副腎転移切除を施行した胃癌術後長期生存中の1例

Synchronous and metachronous lung metastases in patients with colorectal cancer: A 20-year monocentric experience

There is little information regarding the recent trend of synchronous and metachronous pulmonary metastases in patients with primary colorectal cancer. We investigated patients with sporadic colorectal cancer who underwent surgery in our department between 1990 and 2009. Clinicopathological parameters of primary cancer and lung metastases and survival time were retrospectively reviewed. Of the 2,286 patients included in this study, 64 (2.8%) had synchronous lung metastases at the time of colorectal surgery. A total of 18 patients (28%) received pulmonary metastasectomy for these lesions with curative intent. Out of 2,082 curatively operated cases, 212 (10.2%) developed metachronous lung metastases. The frequency of synchronous and/or metachronous lung metastases detected in curative cases increased from 8.9% in the 1990s to 11.9% in the 2000s (p=0.03). Among predictive factors for metachronous lung metastases, the presence of distant organ metastases, i.e. initial stage IV, significantly increased over time. Notably, patients with unresectable metachronous lung metastases in the 2000s, characterized by smaller size, exhibited more favorable prognosis than in the 1990s (p=0.003). Recent improvement of imaging modalities is considered to have facilitated the prompt diagnosis of lung metastases. Moreover, marked progress in multidisciplinary treatment has presumably achieved more favorable prognosis in an increasing number of patients with advanced colorectal cancer.

Benefits of video-assisted thoracic surgery for repeated pulmonary metastasectomy

The use of repeated pulmonary resection for metachronous pulmonary metastasis has increased. We assessed whether video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) produced greater benefits than classic thoracotomy for repeated pulmonary metastasectomy procedures. A total of 46 patients who had undergone two or more pulmonary metastasectomies from 1995 to 2008 were analyzed in this study. These patients were classified into four groups as follows: group A (previous VATS/present VATS); group B (previous VATS/present thoracotomy); group C (previous thoracotomy/present VATS); group D (previous thoracotomy/present thoracotomy). The clinical features of these four groups were then compared. The operating time and the duration of thoracic drainage were longer in group D than in group A or B. The operating time was also longer in group C than in group A. Intraoperative bleeding was greater in group D patients than in other three groups. There were no discernible morbidities resulting from VATS in groups A or C. No differences were found in the occurrence of relapse among the groups. The mean interval from the previous to the present pulmonary metastasectomy also did not differ significantly among groups. VATS can result in a shortened operating time, reduced intraoperative bleeding, and generally fewer complications compared with repeated classic thoracotomy. VATS is also potentially a curative procedure as it is not inferior to classic thoracotomy in terms of the relapse rate after repeated pulmonary metastasectomy.

Operative treatment for metachronous pulmonary metastasis from esophageal carcinoma

The clinical significance of operative treatment for metachronous pulmonary metastasis from esophageal carcinoma is unclear. We retrospectively reviewed 23 consecutive patients who underwent operative resection for metachronous pulmonary metastasis from esophageal carcinoma from 1991 to 2008. Patient baseline characteristics, survival probability, and prognostic factors were analyzed. The median follow-up period was 31 months for surviving patients. There were 19 men and 4 women, with a median age of 66 years at the time of pulmonary resection. The median disease-free interval was 15.5 months. Cervical or mediastinal lymph node metastases preceded pulmonary metastases in 4 patients. Seven patients (30.4%) had multiple metastases with a maximum number of 4. The median operative time and blood loss were 94.5 minutes and 18 mL, respectively. The median length of postoperative stay was 12.5 days. The predicted 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates using the Kaplan-Meier method were 73.9%, 43.5%, and 43.5%, respectively, with a median survival time of 28.7 months. Univariate analysis revealed that an extrapulmonary metastasis as the initial recurrence site was an unfavorable prognostic factor (P = .0411). Multivariate analyses, however, did not identify the initial recurrence site as an independent prognostic factor (P = .0542). Operative resection for metachronous pulmonary metastasis from esophageal carcinoma is an acceptable treatment. This study of a limited number of patients may have created a constitutional selection bias. An antecedent extrapulmonary metastasis was found to be an unfavorable prognostic factor.

A retrospective survival analysis of with pulmonary metastasis from colorectal cancer

To evaluate the survival rate after pulmonary resection for metastatic colorectal cancer(CRC). Clinical data of 77 patients with pulmonary metastasis from CRC between January 2005 and October 2008 in the Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University were retrospectively analyzed. There were 38 patients with synchronous pulmonary metastasis, of whom 2 underwent resection for pulmonary metastasis. The median survival time of two groups was 25 months and 18 months, which was not significantly different (P=0.33). There were 39 cases of metachronous pulmonary metastasis, of whom 28 received pulmonary metastasis resection. The 1-year and 3-year survival rates of 2 groups were 93.3% and 58.5%, and 38.8% and 19.1%, respectively. The median survival time of two groups was 26.7 months and 8 months, and the difference was statistically significant (P=0.004). Surgical resection can improve the survival rate in patients with pulmonary metastasis from colorectal cancer.

Ewing's Sarcoma with Metachronous Pulmonary Metastasis after Successful Treatment of Osteosarcoma in a Child

A rare case of duplicate tumor, osteosarcoma and Ewing's sarcoma, complicated by metachronous pulmonary metastasis in a child is reported. A nine-year-old girl's osteosarcoma was treated by neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy. Four years later, resection of the chest wall to remove an Ewing's sarcoma had to be performed, followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy. At the age of 17, the girl underwent a metastasectomy of Ewing's sarcoma metastasis to the lung. Five years later, the patient is free from any recognizable malignant disease. We conclude that after the complete surgical removal of two primary tumors, metastasectomy is an optimal treatment procedure in case of a solitary pulmonary metastasis.

Loss of carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule 1 expression predicts metachronous pulmonary metastasis and poor survival in patients with hepatoblastoma

Purpose Carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule 1 (CEACAM1) is a member of the carcinoembryonic antigen family of immunoglobulin-like adhesion molecules. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that loss of CEACAM1 expression in hepatoblastoma cells may promote hematogeneous metastasis and function as an adverse prognostic factor. Methods Immunohistochemical expression of CEACAM1 in surgically resected specimens from 19 patients with hepatoblastoma was examined retrospectively. The CEACAM1 expression in the epithelial area of the tumor was classified into 2 categories as follows: diffuse expression, characterized by positive staining throughout the tumor specimen, or loss of expression, in which there were distinct areas of negative staining within the tumor specimen. Results Of the 19 patients, 12 were classified as having tumors with diffuse expression, and 7 had loss-of-expression tumors. Survival after treatment was significantly worse in patients with tumors with loss of CEACAM1 expression (cumulative 5-year survival rate, 29%) than in patients with diffuse CEACAM1 expression (cumulative 5-year survival rate, 92%; P = .0062). Loss of CEACAM1 expression was a significant risk factor for metachronous pulmonary metastases ( P = .0105). Conclusions Loss of CEACAM1 expression may reflect a high metastatic potential and thus indicate a poor prognosis for patients with hepatoblastoma.

Prognostic factors for colorectal cancer patients with pulmonary metastases

e15107 Background: Pulmonary is the second common metastastic site of CRC with a good survival after metastasectomy, however the general situation of pulmonary metastases from CRC has received little attention, especially for unresectable ones. The aim of this study was to determine factors that may influence survival and disease free interval from primary radical surgery to pulmonary metastases (DFI). Methods: From 01/2000 to 11/2008, a total of 206 pts with pulmonary metastases (colon72, rectal ca131, 3 unknown) were collected retrospectively and the clinical data were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier survival curves, univariate and multivariate analysis. Results: 128 pts (62.1%) had lung disease as the first metastatic site and 33 pts (26.7%) had synchronous liver involvement. Only 17 patients (8.3%) followed pulmonary metastatic resection, and others underwent palliative medical treatment including the chemotherapy and intervention. Median survival was 16.0 months (range 12.240–19.760) with a 18% 5-year survival. Of the totally 160 patients who had synchronous pulmonary metastases after radical primary tumor surgery, the mDFI was 20 months (range 16.738–23.262) months. Rectal cancer had a high chance (65%) for lung recurrence with longer DFI (21 vs 14 mo, P=0.02), but no difference of survival was shown compared to colon cancer. Factors that significantly predicted a poor prognosis on univariate analysis included vessel invasion (P=0.022) and high T stage (P=0.009), but neither of them was the independent prognostic factors after multivariate analysis. The factors influencing the DFI of metachronous pulmonary metastases included primary tumor site, pathological morphology, tumor infiltration stage and regional lymph node stage (P<0.05). There was a trend of better survival of patients receiving resection surgery after pulmonary metastases than receiving chemotherapy alone though no statistical significant was reached (mOS:34 vs 16 mo, P=0.125). But to patients who receiving metastatic site resection, chemotherapy after surgery improved the survival (P=0.042). Conclusions: No independent prognostic factors of survival had been found. The invasive tumor with high stage may have a shorter disease free interval of pulmonary metastases after primary surgery. No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Treatment outcomes of hepatic and pulmonary metastases from colorectal carcinoma

The resection of synchronous or metachronous pulmonary and liver metastasis is an aggressive treatment option for patients with stage IV colorectal cancer and has been shown to yield acceptable long-term survival. We reviewed our experience with colorectal cancer patients with both liver and lung resections to determine the efficacy of surgical resections. We performed a single institution, retrospective analysis of all patients who underwent surgical hepatic and pulmonary resection for metastatic colorectal cancer between 1995 and 2004. A total of 32 patients underwent resection of both hepatic and pulmonary metastases secondary to colorectal cancer. The 5-year overall survival from initial operation was 60.8%. The disease-free interval was 44.3 months (95% confidence interval: 24.7 and 63.8, respectively). Neither the number of pulmonary lesions nor the time interval between the primary surgery and the metastasectomy had a significant impact on survival (P = 0.134). An aggressive surgical treatment of selected colorectal cancer patients with lung and liver metastases resulted in prolonged survival. The 5-year survival rate of 60.8% with no perioperative mortality was observed in our study.

Pulmonary metastasis from colorectal carcinoma with hepatic metastasis

Although some beneficial effects of surgical treatments for pulmonary or hepatic metastases from colorectal carcinoma have been reported, identifying candidates for these aggressive surgical procedures is controversial. In this study, patients with pulmonary metastases from colorectal carcinoma, particularly those with pulmonary and hepatic metastases, were retrospectively analyzed. Forty-six patients who had undergone complete resection for pulmonary metastases from colorectal carcinoma were retrospectively analyzed. The median follow-up period after pulmonary resection was 26 months, and the 5-year postoperative survival rate was 34%. The 5- and 10-year survival rates of patients with pulmonary metastasis alone, metachronous pulmonary metastasis after liver metastasis, and synchronous metastasis to the liver and lung were 75%, 75%, and 25% and 25%, 38%, and 0%, respectively, when calculated from the time of primary colorectal resection (P < 0.01). Patients with synchronous metastases had a poorer prognosis than did the patients in the other two groups. Surgical treatments for patients with pulmonary metastasis alone or metachronous metastasis can provide a beneficial outcome. Patients with synchronous metastasis have a poor prognosis, and effective pre- and postoperative systemic treatments should be considered to prolong their survival.

Surgical treatment of hepatic and pulmonary metastases from colorectal cancers

Background. Selected patients with double hepatic and pulmonary metastases from colorectal cancer may benefit from operation. Methods. From 1970 to 1995, 239 patients underwent operation for resection of pulmonary metastases from colorectal cancer at two French surgical centers. Among these patients, 43 (18%) had previously undergone complete resection of hepatic metastases and constitute the subject of this retrospective study. Results. The median interval time between hepatic and pulmonary resections was 18 months. Two pneumonectomies, 5 lobectomies, 3 segmentectomies, 6 wedge resections, and 27 metastasectomies were performed. No postoperative mortality was observed. Two patients had major postoperative complications. Seven patients (16%) underwent subsequent pulmonary resection for recurrences. Twenty-one patients were still alive, 14 free of disease. The median survival from pulmonary resection was 19 months and the 5-year probability of survival was 11%. Prethoracotomy carcinoembryonic antigen blood levels and the number of pulmonary resection were found to be significant prognostic factors; the interval time between hepatic and pulmonary resection (>36 months) was borderline significant ( p = 0.06). Conclusions. Selected patients with combined hepatic and pulmonary metastases from colorectal cancer should be considered for surgical resection. Patients with normal prethoracotomy carcinoembryonic antigen levels and late metachronous pulmonary metastasis, appear to be the best surgical candidates.

Resection of hepatic and pulmonary metastases from colorectal cancer

Resection of hepatic metastases of colorectal origin has gained wide acceptance, but when patients have synchronous or metachronous pulmonary metastases, they are often considered incurable and are offered systemic therapy only. We performed a retrospective review of the patients at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center who underwent resection of both hepatic and pulmonary metastases of colorectal origin between 1970 and 1990. Ten patients were identified who met the above criteria. Median survival after hepatic and pulmonary resections were 34 and 18 months, respectively. Actuarial 1-, 3- and 5-year survivals are 89%, 78% and 52%, respectively. With a median of 18 months after second operation, three patients have no evidence of disease (NED), four are alive with disease (AWD) and three are dead of disease (DOD). In the absence of effective chemotherapy, selected patients with hepatic and pulmonary metastases of colorectal origin should be considered for resection as it offers the only possibility for long-term survival.

Pulmonary metastases from osteogenic sarcoma: Complete resection and effective chemotherapy contributing to improved prognosis

Of 54 unselected patients with osteogenic sarcoma metastatic to the lung who were entered into two successive prospective studies in Western Germany and Austria, 16 presented with synchronous pulmonary metastases (PM) and primary rumor and 38 developed PM during or after chemotherapy. Eleven out of 29 patients (37.9%) undergoing one or more thoracotomies survived, for an actuarial three-year survival rate (SR) of 29%, in contrast to only one out of 21 patients without pulmonary surgery. After complete resection of pulmonary lesions, the SR was significantly higher than after incomplete resection (p < 0.01). We could not demonstrate a significant association between the number of pulmonary metastases resected and SR. Of the patients undergoing complete resection, those with synchronous PM and primary tumor had an insignificantly higher SR than those with metachronous PM. Five out of eight patients whose PM contained no or only small foci of viable tumor survived with no evidence of disease in contrast to only 3 out of 17 whose PM contained large areas of viable tumor (p = 0.035), thus demonstrating that effective chemotherapy is capable of improving the prognosis in osteogenic sarcoma metastatic to the lung.