Studies on Liver Metastasis of Esophageal Cancer

Yasuhiro Yokoyama, Yoshihiko Kubo, Tetsuya Nozaka, Koichiro Ikeda, Satoshi Hirata, Mamoru Ueda, Eiji yatsuyanagi, Hiroshi Suzuki, Hirokatsu Sugimoto

First Department of Surgery, Asahikawa Medical College

Clinical studies of liver metastasis of esophageal cancer were made in 94 patients in whom the outcome was clear. Liver metastases were found in 16 patients (17%) and these metastases were multiple and non-resectable. In 11 of the 16 patients (69%), the lesion was located in the lower thoracic esophagus. Of 12 patients with liver metastasis after complete resection, the incidences of lymph node metastasis and vascular invasion were high and 9 of the 12 patients (75%) had stag IV disease. Average survival of 9 patients given postoperative chemotherapy was longer than that of the 3 without chemotherapy (10.6 months vs. 5.3 months). Above all, hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy was effective against liver metastasis of esophageal cancer. Of 4 patients with liver metastasis after incomplete resection, the outcome was very poor (mean survival 3.0 months).

Key words
esophageal cancer, liver metastasis, hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy

Reprint requests
Yasuhiro Yokoyama First Department of Surgery, Asahikawa Medical Collge
4-5-3-11 Nishikagura, Asahikawa, 078 JAPAN

Accepted
March 7, 1990

To read the PDF file you will need Abobe Reader installed on your computer.