Resection of liver metastases is beneficial in patients with gastric cancer: report on 15 cases and review of literature

Background Although up to 9% of patients with gastric cancer develop liver metastases, liver resection is rarely performed because of co-existing non-curative factors. Furthermore, the benefit of liver resection is still controversially discussed. Our goal was to investigate the outcome of patients who underwent liver resection or radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for hepatic metastasized gastric cancer. Methods Retrospectively collected data from a prospectively maintained database were analyzed from 15 patients who underwent liver resection or RFA for liver metastases from gastric cancer. Results Overall 5-year survival and median survival were 27% and 48 months for resected/RFA patients. The peri-operative complication rate was low. One patient has been tumor-free for 90 months now. Conclusions Liver resection in patients with hepatic metastasized gastric cancer is beneficial and safe if an R0 situation can be achieved. RFA might be a useful alternative in those patients where surgery is not feasible.