HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Personal Folders Download to citation manager Permission Requests Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Nakagawa, T. Articles by Todo, S. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Nakagawa, T. Articles by Todo, S. Related Collections Lung - cancer

J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2006;131:1248-1254
© 2006 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery

General Thoracic Surgery

Pulmonary resection for metastases from hepatocellular carcinoma: Factors influencing prognosis

Department of General Surgery, Hokkaido University, Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.

Received for publication December 15, 2005; accepted for publication February 10, 2006.

^_* Address for reprints: Takahito Nakagawa, MD, Department of General Surgery, Hokkaido University, Graduate School of Medicine, N15W7 Kita-ku, Sapporo, Japan. (Email: nakanbo{at}med.hokudai.ac.jp).

OBJECTIVE: Although the lung is the most common site of extrahepatic spread from hepatocellular carcinoma, outcomes after pulmonary resection and prognostic factors have not been well described. We analyzed a single-center experience with 25 patients undergoing pulmonary resection of metastases from hepatocellular carcinoma to examine the clinical factors and outcomes.

METHODS: Patients were candidates for resection if they had controlled intrahepatic disease with no evidence of extrathoracic lesions and if all gross tumors could be removed with preservation of respiratory function. Twenty-five patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who underwent curative hepatectomy were suitable for the pulmonary resection criteria between 1990 and 2005. Clinical features and outcomes were analyzed.

RESULTS: The mean actuarial 1-, 3-, and 5-year survivals after pulmonary resection were 80%, 61%, and 36%, respectively. Tumor number (solitary or multiple) and location (unilateral or bilateral lung) did not significantly affect cancer-specific survival. Mean 5-year survival was 25% for patients with disease-free interval of 1 to 11 months and 62% for those with disease-free interval of 12 months or more. Mean survival was 15.9 months for patients with alpha-fetoprotein of 500 ng/mL or more, and 39.2 months for those with alpha-fetoprotein less than 500 ng/mL. Five-year survival was 21% for patients with short disease-free interval or high alpha-fetoprotein level and 74% for those with long disease-free interval and low alpha-fetoprotein level (P = .015).

CONCLUSION: Pulmonary resection for metastases from hepatocellular carcinoma may prolong survival in selected patients. Disease-free interval greater than 12 months and alpha-fetoprotein less than 500 ng/mL are important prognostic factors.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				K. Kitano, T. Murayama, M. Sakamoto, K. Nagayama, K. Ueno, T. Murakawa, and J. Nakajima Outcome and survival analysis of pulmonary metastasectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma Eur J Cardiothorac Surg, February 1, 2012; 41(2): 376 - 382. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]