Objective: To report a series of cases of hepatic resection for metastatic gynecologic carcinomas.
Methods: We reviewed the records of all patients who underwent hepatic resection for metachronous liver metastases from gynecologic carcinomas at our institution from 1986 to 1996.
Results: Twelve patients were identified with a median age of 60 years (range 30-73 years). The primary sites of carcinoma were as follows: ovary, 7 (58%); cervix, 2 (17%); endometrium, 2 (17%); and fallopian tube, 1 (8%). The median disease-free interval before the diagnosis of liver metastasis was 32 months (range 1-243 months). The types of liver resections were as follows: trisegmentectomy, 4 (33%); lobectomy, 4 (33%); segmentectomy, 3 (25%); and wedge resection, 1 (8%). To remove all visible tumor with adequate margins, additional surgery included the following: resection of a portion of the diaphragm, 5 (42%); wedge resection of the right lung, 3 (25%); resection of a portion of the pericardium, 2 (17%); and adrenalectomy, 1 (8%). One patient (8%) had pulmonary wedge resections of bilateral pulmonary metastases. There was no perioperative mortality. Ten patients (83%) received additional chemotherapy. With a median follow-up of 25 months (range 8-94 months), the median survival time is 27 months. Three patients (25%) have no evidence of tumor recurrence at 8, 17, and 38 months of follow-up. Nine patients (75%) have had tumor recurrence at a median of 12 months from the time of surgery.
Conclusions: Hepatic resection of metachronous metastases from gynecologic carcinomas can be performed safely and may help prolong survival in carefully selected patients.