BACKGROUND/AIMS: Although the lung is the most common site of extrahepatic spread from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the role of surgery for pulmonary metastasis remains unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of pulmonary resection in patients with pulmonary metastasis from HCC. METHODS: Between July 2000 and July 2004, a total of 6 patients with pulmonary metastasis from HCC underwent curative pulmonary resections. The patients were divided into two groups (Surgery group and Non-surgery group) according to the primary treatment modality of HCC. Medical records, imaging studies, and pathologic reports of the surgical specimens were reviewed. RESULTS: Three patients in the surgery group underwent pulmonary resections for a solitary metastasis after hepatectomy for HCC, and they are all still alive. One of the 3 patients developed a tumor recurrence in the chest wall after pulmonary resection. The survival time after diagnosis of HCC were 79, 122, and 54 months, respectively. The survival time after pulmonary metastatectomy were 49, 39, and 20 months in the three patients. Another 3 patients in the non-surgery group, received a pulmonary metastatectomy; they had either a complete response HCC or partial radiologic response. These 3 patients developed recurrent disease in the liver. One of 3 patients died. The survival time after diagnosis of HCC were 153, 83, 12 months. The survival time after pulmonary metastatectomy were 51, 4, 2 months. CONCLUSIONS: The surgical resections of a solitary pulmonary metastasis from HCC in highly selected patients might be an effective treatment modalities for prolonged survival.
Adult ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/diagnosis/mortality/*secondary/*surgery ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms/*pathology ; Lung Neoplasms/diagnosis/mortality/*secondary/*surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; *Pneumonectomy/mortality ; Survival Rate ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo study the survival and prognostic factors of stage III N2 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after surgical treatment.

METHODS266 patients with stage III N2 NSCLC underwent operation from 1982 to 1996, with the 5-year survival rate compared with those of stage N0 and N1 patients who received operation in the same period. Histological classification, number of positive nodes, location and extent of mediastinal lymph node involvement, T primary tumor status, complete or incomplete operation, the procedure of operation were univariately and multivariately analyzed to determine their impact on the 5-year survival.

RESULTSThe 5-year survival rate of patients with stage III N2 non-small lung cancer after surgical treatment was 17.3%, which was significant lower than those with N0 (51.4%) and N1 (30.4%). Four prognostic factors significantly influenced the outcome: number of positive nodes, location and extent of mediastinal lymph node involvement, T primary tumor status and complete resection of the tumor.

CONCLUSIONPatients with stage III N2 NSCLC are candidates for surgical treatment if they have evidence of limited mediastinal lymph node metastasis and prospects of complete resection.

Aged ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; diagnosis ; mortality ; secondary ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; mortality ; pathology ; surgery ; Lymph Nodes ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Prognosis ; Survival Rate