title: Repeated liver resection for recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Tumor recurrence after liver resection occurs in the majority of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study was conducted to clarify the safety and effectiveness of repeated liver resection as a curative option for intrahepatic HCC recurrence.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between July 1990 and January 2009, 483 patients underwent 514 curative hepatic resections for HCC in our institution. Among this collective, 27 patients underwent 31 repeated resections due to recurrent HCC (27 s resections, three third resections and one forth resection). The outcome of these patients was retrospectively reviewed using a prospective database.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Perioperative morbidity and mortality was 11% (three of 27) and 0%. Six patients showed multiple liver lesions, 23 underwent minor liver resections (fewer than three segments) and five patients underwent major resections (three or more segments). The majority of the patients showed no signs of chronic liver disease (16 of 27). The median tumor free margin was 1.5 mm (range: 0 to 20 mm). The median tumor diameter was 40 mm (range: 10 to 165 mm). Tumor dedifferentiations at time of tumor recurrence were not observed. The 1-, 3- and 5-year overall survival rates after second liver resection were 96%, 70% and 42%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Repeated liver resection is a valid and safe curative therapy option for recurrent HCC and results in significant prolongation of survival in comparison to interventional treatment strategies in selected patients. However, due to impaired liver function, multifocal intrahepatic or extrahepatic recurrence repeated resection is only feasible in a minority of patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, Charité-Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany. wladimir.faber@charite.de
authors.forename: Wladimir
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Faber
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Seehofer
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Neuhaus
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stockmann
authors.forename: Timm
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Denecke
authors.forename: Sinan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kalmuk
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Warnick
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bahra
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006498:Hepatectomy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009017:Morbidity / Q000639:trends; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D012086:Reoperation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate / Q000639:trends; D055815:Young Adult