[Clinical outcome of pulmonary resections in patients with pulmonary metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma].
OBJECTIVE
Although the lung is the most common site of extrahepatic spread from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the role of surgery for pulmonary metastasis remains unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of pulmonary resection in patients with pulmonary metastasis from HCC.


METHODS
Between July 2000 and July 2004, a total of 6 patients with pulmonary metastasis from HCC underwent curative pulmonary resections. The patients were divided into two groups (Surgery group and Non-surgery group) according to the primary treatment modality of HCC. Medical records, imaging studies, and pathologic reports of the surgical specimens were reviewed.


RESULTS
Three patients in the surgery group underwent pulmonary resections for a solitary metastasis after hepatectomy for HCC, and they are all still alive. One of the 3 patients developed a tumor recurrence in the chest wall after pulmonary resection. The survival time after diagnosis of HCC were 79, 122, and 54 months, respectively. The survival time after pulmonary metastatectomy were 49, 39, and 20 months in the three patients. Another 3 patients in the non-surgery group, received a pulmonary metastatectomy; they had either a complete response HCC or partial radiologic response. These 3 patients developed recurrent disease in the liver. One of 3 patients died. The survival time after diagnosis of HCC were 153, 83, 12 months. The survival time after pulmonary metastatectomy were 51, 4, 2 months.


CONCLUSIONS
The surgical resections of a solitary pulmonary metastasis from HCC in highly selected patients might be an effective treatment modalities for prolonged survival.
Kim
Kyung Kyu
KK
Department of Internal Medicine, Institute of Gastroenterology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Kim
Ja Kyung
JK
Kim
Do Young
DY
Ahn
Sang Hoon
SH
Chon
Chae Yoon
CY
Moon
Young Myoung
YM
Chung
Kyung Young
KY
Han
Kwang-Hyub
KH
D000328:Adult; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D011013:Pneumonectomy / Q000401:mortality; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome