Hepatectomy for Liver Metastasis of Gastric Cancer: A Meta-Analysis

Background. Management of gastric cancer (GC) with liver metastases is debated. It is still controversial whether surgical resection provides a survival benefit or not. This systematic review was designed to evaluate the efficacy of hepatectomy for GC liver metastasis. Methods. We searched several electronic databases to identify eligible studies updated on September 2018. Studies assessing the efficacy and safety of hepatectomy versus no hepatectomy were included. Odds ratio (OR) along with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were utilized for main outcome analysis. Results. In all, 10 studies were included. Patients who underwent hepatectomy had lower 1-year (OR = 0.15, 95% CI = 0.10-0.22, P < .00001), 3-year (OR = 0.16, 95% CI = 0.10-0.27, P < .00001), and 5-year mortality (OR = 0.13, 95% CI = 0.07-0.24, P < .00001) than those without hepatectomy. We also reported favorable survival outcome in patients with metachronous hepatic resection versus synchronous hepatic resection (OR = 2.09, 95% CI = 1.21-3.60, P = .008). However, there was no significant difference between solitary and multiple liver metastases (OR = 0.61, 95% CI = 0.35-1.07, P = .08). Conclusion. The present study demonstrates that hepatic resection in the management of liver metastases of GC can prolong the survival of patients and should be considered a promising treatment for such patients. Furthermore, there are more favorable outcomes in patients with metachronous metastases versus those with synchronous disease. Therefore, metachronous hepatic metastases from GC are not necessarily a contraindication for hepatectomy of the metastatic site.