Safety and efficacy of curative intent surgery for peri-ampullary liver metastasis

The management of patients with peri-ampullary liver metastasis remains controversial. We sought to assess the safety and efficacy of curative intent surgery for peri-ampullary liver metastasis.

Between 1993 and 2009, 40 patients underwent curative intent surgery (resection and/or radiofrequency ablation (RFA)) for peri-ampullary liver metastasis. Clinicopathologic and outcome data were collected and analyzed.

Location of the primary tumor was pancreas head (n = 20), ampulla of Vater (n = 10), distal bile duct (n = 5), or duodenum (n = 5). Most patients (n = 27) presented with synchronous disease, while 13 patients presented with metachronous disease following a median disease-free interval of 22 months. Most patients (n = 25) presented with hepatic metastasis from pancreaticobiliary origin (pancreatic or distal common bile duct) compared with 15 patients who had metastasis from an intestinal-type primary (ampullary or duodenal). There were no differences in metastatic tumor number or size between these groups (P > 0.05). Post-operative morbidity and mortality was 30% and 5% respectively. Overall 1- and 3-year survival was 55% and 18%. Patients who underwent resection of liver metastasis from intestinal-type tumors experienced a longer survival compared with patients who had pancreaticobiliary lesions (median: 13 months vs. 23 months; P = 0.05).

Curative intent surgery for peri-ampullary liver metastasis was associated with post-operative morbidity and a 5% mortality rate. Although the overall survival benefit was modest, patients with liver metastasis from intestinal-type tumors experienced improved survival following resection of liver metastasis compared with pancreaticobiliary lesions.