[Evaluation of hepatic resection for synchronous liver metastasis from gastric cancer]

To evaluate the effect of hepatic resection for synchronous liver metastasis from gastric cancer, the clinicopathological factors of gastric cancer, the size and number of liver metastasis and surgical procedures for liver metastasis were studied. Between 1977 and 2006, a total of 49 patients (38 men and 11 women) underwent hepatic resections and gastrectomy. The median age was 70 years old (range 41-81). As for pathological type, intestinal/diffuse was 26/23. T1/T2/T3/T4 was 4/14/23/8. For lymph node metastasis, N0/N1/N2/N3 was 4/15/18/12. The number of liver metastasis: 27 patients had 1 lesion, 9 patients had 2 lesions, and 13 patients had more than 3 lesions. A partial resection was performed for 37 patients. MST was 663 days. The 5-year survival rate was 19.7%. Univariate analysis pointed out several prognostic factors such as histological type of primary lesion, T-factor, lymph node metastasis, the number and size of liver metastasis and the procedures for hepatic resection. Multivariate analysis revealed that two factors of N0 or N1 in lymph node metastasis and partial resection of liver metastasis were favorable independent prognostic factors (p=0.0108 and p=0.0192). In conclusion, N0 and N1 state and partial resection of the liver metastasis would be good candidates for gastrectomy and synchronous resection of liver metastatic lesions.