Primary and secondary liver endocrine tumors: clinical presentation, surgical approach and outcome.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of surgical treatment in the management of primary and secondary liver endocrine tumors.


METHODS
We reviewed our experience of surgical treatment for primary and secondary liver endocrine tumors in 34 patients from 1980 to 1999. There were 31 cases of liver metastases from distant primary endocrine tumors treated by curative resection in 11 patients, cytoreductive surgery in 15 and orthotopic liver transplantation in 5. The remaining 3 consisted of primary liver endocrine tumor in 2 patients, liver invasion from primary bile duct endocrine tumor in 1, and all of them were treated by curative liver resection.


RESULTS
In patients with distant primary endocrine tumors, the actuarial 5-year survival after curative liver resection, cytoreductive surgery, and orthotopic liver transplantation was of 91%, 50% (being 90% for non-functioning tumors), and 60%, respectively. In patients with primary liver endocrine tumors, long-term survival and disease-free survival (52-240 months) was achieved after curative resection.


CONCLUSIONS
When indicated, liver surgery can offer cure and/or improve survival in patients with primary or secondary liver endocrine tumors. The choice of the surgical modality should be evaluated carefully.
el Rassi
Ziad S
ZS
Division of Digestive Surgery and Liver Transplantation Unit, Edouard Herriot Hospital, Lyon, France. zer18@hotmail.com
Ferdinand
Lahoud
L
Mohsine
Raouf M
RM
Berger
Francoise
F
Lombard-Bohas
Catherine
C
Boillot
Olivier
O
Partensky
Christian C-M
CC
D000328:Adult; D002276:Carcinoid Tumor / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D015408:Gastrinoma / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018358:Neuroendocrine Tumors / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome