Hepatic resection for isolated stomach cancer liver metastases: A single-center experience

Abstract

Stomach cancer is the second most common cause of cancer related death worldwide. The liver is the major site of metastases in 9%–40% of cases, though the metastatic pattern in most cases is diffuse, involving both the peritoneum and distant lymph nodes [1-4]. In contrast to the well-described guidelines for hepatic resection of colorectal cancer and neuroendocrine liver metastases, surgical resection of stomach cancer liver metastases (SCLMs) is only considered in a select few patients. Treatment for SCLM is mainly based on the physician’s experience because of the limited clinical benefit of hepatic resection. In general, surgical resection is not commonly performed in patients with hepatic metastases from gastric cancers, because of poor long-term outcomes. However, recent studies suggest that hepatic resection for SCLM showed improved outcomes in select patients, with a 5-year survival ranging from 23% to 42% [3-6]. Yet, the effectiveness of liver resection in the treatment of SCLM is still controversial. The aim of this paper was to review the outcomes of select patients with SCLM after hepatic resection at a single center.