Surgical Resection for Management of Renal Cancer with Hepatic Involvement

3D reconstruction of CT scans aid in preoperative planning for sarcomatoid renal cancer: A case report and mini-review

Contrast-enhanced multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT) is commonly used in the diagnosis of complex malignant tumours. This technology provides comprehensive and accurate information about tumour size and shape in relation to solid tumours and the affected adjacent organs and tissues. This case report demonstrates the benefit of using MSCT 3D imaging for preoperative planning in a patient with late-stage (T4) sarcomatoid renal cell carcinoma, a rare renal malignant tumour. The surgical margin on the liver was negative, and no metastases to veins, lungs or other organs were detected by abdominal and chest contrast-enhanced CT. Although sarcomatoid histology is considered to be a poor prognostic factor, the patient is alive and well 17 months after surgery. The MSCT imaging modality enables 3D rendering of an area of interest, which assists surgical decision-making in cases of advanced renal tumours. In this case, as a result of MSCT 3D reconstruction, the patient received justified surgical treatment without compromising oncological principles.

Sunitinib treatment enabling resection of massive liver metastasis: a case report

Introduction

Sunitinib was developed as a molecular-targeted drug to treat advanced renal cell carcinoma. It is not yet known whether liver damage occurs in patients with liver metastases of renal cell carcinoma after sunitinib administration. Here, we report the case of a patient with an inoperable massive liver metastasis of renal cell carcinoma for whom sunitinib administration was dramatically effective with no obvious evidence of liver damage. As a result, the liver metastasis could be resected. We emphasize the dramatic reduction in liver metastasis with sunitinib treatment, and the histopathological effects of sunitinib on the non-tumorous liver parenchyma.

Case presentation

A 54-year-old Japanese woman was diagnosed with right renal cell carcinoma and underwent right nephrectomy 12 years earlier. She presented to a local clinic with right abdominal pain. A computed tomography scan showed a massive liver metastasis occupying her right hepatic lobe, and she was referred to our hospital for treatment. The diagnosis was not only liver metastasis, but also left renal metastasis. Oral administration of tyrosine kinase inhibitor sunitinib was started. Adverse events due to sunitinib included liver dysfunction, thrombocytopenia, and decreased hemoglobin, but she completed eight courses with the help of drug holidays and dose adjustments. Post-treatment computed tomography showed a dramatic reduction in size of her liver metastasis, enabling right lobectomy of her liver. Histopathological findings showed no obvious liver damage due to chemotherapy in non-cancerous parenchymal areas.

Conclusions

With the availability of sunitinib, some patients with potentially unresectable massive liver metastases of renal cell carcinoma may be able to undergo major hepatectomy curatively and safely with little histopathological damage to non-tumorous liver parenchyma, thus improving their prognosis.

A safe combined nephrectomy and right lobectomy using the liver hanging maneuver for huge renal cell carcinoma directly invading the right lobe of the liver: report of a case

We herein discuss a patient who underwent simultaneous combined right nephrectomy and right lobectomy of the liver. A 64-year-old male was diagnosed with a huge right renal cell carcinoma (RCC), 13 cm in diameter, which was invading directly into the right hepatic lobe. This type of RCC has been rarely reported, and an anterior approach using the liver hanging maneuver was extremely useful during hepatic parenchymal dissection. The liver parenchymal dissection was performed prior to mobilization of the liver, because the mobilization of the right lobe of the liver was impossible. During the hepatic parenchymal resection, the liver was suspended with the tape and transected, and thereafter, retroperitoneal dissection, nephrectomy and right lobectomy of the liver were completed. The patient was discharged from the hospital on the 12th postoperative day with an uneventful clinical course. The anterior approach using the liver hanging maneuver during hepatic parenchymal resection can be safe and feasible for huge RCC invading the right hepatic lobe.

Liver resection for metastatic disease prolongs survival in renal cell carcinoma: 12-year results from a retrospective comparative analysis

The value of surgical resection of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) liver metastases still remains unclear.

OBJECTIVE

Of our study was to evaluate the efficacy of liver resection by comparing patients who could have undergone metastasectomy due to limited disease, but refused surgery.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Eighty-eight patients were identified with liver metastases and indication of surgery between 1995 and 2006. In 68 patients, liver resection was performed, 20 patients denied surgery and served as comparison group. Patients were followed for survival.

RESULTS

Median age was 58. Median amount of liver metastases was 2 (range 1-30). Median follow-up was 26 months (range 1-187). In both groups, 79% received systemic therapy. The 5-year overall survival rate (OSR-5) after metastasectomy was 62.2% +/- 11.4% (SEM) with a median survival (MS) of 142 (95% confidence interval (CI) 115-169) months. OSR-5 in the control group was 29.3% +/- 22.0% (SEM) with a MS of 27 (95% CI 16-38) months (P = 0.003). MS was 155 (95% CI 133-175) months with metachronous metastases compared to 29 (95% CI 25-33) months in the comparison group (P = 0.001). Low-grade primary RCC had a MS of 155 (95% CI 123-187) months compared to 29 (95% CI 8-50) months without resection (P = 0.0036). High-grade RCC as well as patients with synchronous metastases did not benefit from surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

Liver metastasectomy is an independent valuable tool in the treatment of metastatic RCC and significantly prolongs patient's survival, even if further systemic treatment is necessary. With the evidence given, patients may benefit from liver metastasis resection if technically feasible.

Combined nephrectomy and major hepatectomy: indications, outcomes, and recommendations

BACKGROUND

Simultaneous nephrectomy with major hepatectomy (NMH) is uncommon. We reviewed our experience with NMH.

STUDY DESIGN

Records of patients who underwent NMH at Emory Hospital between January 1995 and May 2008 were examined. Patients undergoing resection of three or more liver segments at the same setting as a total nephrectomy were included. Indications and outcomes were assessed.

RESULTS

Twenty patients underwent NMH. Mean (+/- SD) age was 59.9+/-12.8 years, 6 (30%) were women, and 15 (75%) presented with comorbidities. Most kidney neoplasms were renal cell carcinomas of the right kidney (n=16, 80%) with a mean diameter of 10.0+/-6.1 cm. Eight patients (40%) also underwent thrombectomy for inferior vena cava tumor thrombus. The most common indications for hepatectomy were direct liver invasion in eight patients (40%) and distant hepatic metastases in nine (45%); liver tumors were 4.2+/-3.3 cm (mean +/- SD) in diameter. Mean (+/- SD) operative time was 8.3+/-2.6 hours. Liver resections included 15 (75%) right hepatectomies and 5 (25%) left hepatectomies. In all cases, tumor negative hepatic margins were achieved. Median operative blood loss was 1,700 mL (range 200 to 8,000 mL). Ten patients (50%) suffered complications in the postoperative period; three of these suffered major complications, resulting in one perioperative death (5%). Mean hospital stay was 12+/-8.8 days. Overall survival was 25 months (range 0 to 34 months).

CONCLUSIONS

In this large series of nephrectomy with simultaneous major hepatectomy, morbidity and mortality were acceptable. In specialized centers NMH may be considered in properly selected patients for combined resection for synchronous neoplasms of the kidney and liver.

Liver resection for metastases from renal cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

This study was conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of liver resection in patients with hepatic metastases from renal cell carcinoma and to identify selection criteria for patients suitable for resection.

METHODS

Between January 1988 and March 2006, 31 patients underwent liver resection for metastases from renal cell carcinoma. Patients were identified from a prospective database and retrospectively reviewed. Patient, tumor, and operative parameters were analyzed for their influence on long-term survival.

RESULTS

The overall 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates were 82.2%, 54.3%, and 38.9%, respectively. One patient was deceased and 4 developed complications during the postoperative course. In the univariate analysis, site of the primary tumor (P = 0.013), disease-free interval (P = 0.012), and resection margins (P = 0.008) showed significant influence on long-term survival. In the multivariate analysis, only the resection margins were identified as an independent prognostic factor after liver resection.

CONCLUSIONS

Liver resection is effective and safe in the treatment of patients with hepatic metastases from renal cell carcinoma and offers the chance of long-term survival and cure. Achieving a margin-negative resection is the most important criterion in the selection of suitable patients for liver resection. However, the number of patients in the present study was small, and investigations of larger series may provide further prognostic parameters in these patients.

Tumor renal con invasión hepática: aportación de un nuevo caso y revisión de la literatura

Locally advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with involvement to adjacent organs is uncommon and the prognosis is poor. Radical surgery remains the only effective treatment. We report the case of a woman with RCC and direct liver extension who was surgically treated. A literature review is made.

Radical nephrectomy with en bloc resection of liver, diaphragm, and lung for locally invasive sarcomatoid renal cell carcinoma

Despite the widespread use of abdominal imaging, some patients with renal cell carcinoma still present with advanced disease. We report 1 case of locally invasive sarcomatoid renal cell carcinoma requiring resection of the kidney, adrenal glands, liver, diaphragm, and lung, with diaphragmatic reconstruction with a polytetrafluoroethylene patch. The patient was alive and well 5 years postoperatively. However, we acknowledge that the success experienced with this case does not represent the typical outcome for a patient with such advanced disease.

Outcome following hepatic resection of metastatic renal tumors: the Paul Brousse Hospital experience

BACKGROUND

As many as 50% of patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) will develop systemic metastases. When hepatic metastases from RCC present in a resectable distribution, our group and other groups have previously shown that some patients benefit from curative hepatic resection. In this report we update our own experience and summarize the literature published to date on this topic.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

From 1982 to 2005, 19 patients (9 men, 10 women, median age 50 years) with hepatic metastases from RCC were treated with hepatic resection at our institution. In 14 (74%) of the 19 patients the presentation of hepatic metastases was metachronous. Seven (37%) patients had been or were simultaneously treated for extrahepatic metastases. The mean tumor number was 2 and the mean diameter of the largest metastasis was 73 mm.

RESULTS

Margin-negative resection was achieved in 17 (89%) of 19 cases. Postoperative morbidity and mortality rates were 32% and 5%, respectively. At a median follow-up interval of 26 months, 15 patients recurred with a mean time to recurrence of 12 months. The 3-year and 5-year disease-free survival rates were 25% and 25%, respectively; 3-year and 5-year overall survival rates were 52% and 26%, respectively, with one patient alive 5 years following first hepatectomy. Study factors which predicted prolonged survivals included male sex and maximum tumor diameter </=5 cm.

DISCUSSION

The overall survival rates in our series (3-year, 52%; 5-year, 26%) and in a complete review of the literature (3-year, 24%; 5-year, 18%) indicate that selected patients with hepatic metastases from RCC benefit from hepatic resection.

The role of liver resections for noncolorectal, nonneuroendocrine metastases: experience with 142 observed cases

BACKGROUND

To evaluate the role of liver resection for noncolorectal, nonneuroendocrine metastases, indications and results were retrospectively reviewed in 142 observed patients.

METHODS

A curative liver resection was performed in 83 cases (58.5%), and the remaining 59 patients received palliative treatments. The primary tumor site was gastrointestinal in 18, breast in 21, genitourinary in 15, leiomyosarcoma in 10, and other in 19. The mean number of metastases was 1.4. The mean diameter of the nodules was 5.7 cm. Liver metastases were synchronous in 11 (13.3%) cases and metachronous in the remaining 72 (86.7%).

RESULTS

There was no operative mortality. Postoperative morbidity was 20.5%. The median postoperative stay was 9.5 days. The 3- and 5-year actuarial survival rate was 49.5% and 34.3% in resected cases, respectively, whereas there were almost no survivors 3 years after diagnosis in unresected cases (P < .05). The 3- and 5-year disease-free survival was 41.4% and 23.8%, respectively. Among the 83 resected cases, the 3- and 5-year actuarial survival was 17.3% and 8.6% for metastases from gastrointestinal tumors, 53.9% and 24.6% from breast cancer, 63.7% and 36.4% from leiomyosarcoma, 50.4% and 37.8% from genitourinary neoplasms, and 55.6% and 42.4% from other sites, respectively. Fifteen patients (18.1%) survived longer than 5 years.

CONCLUSIONS

Liver resection is an effective treatment for noncolorectal, nonneuroendocrine metastases; it allows satisfactory long-term survival with an acceptable operative risk in selected patients. Hepatic metastases from gastrointestinal carcinoma have the worst prognosis; those from genitourinary tumors show a better outcome. Patient selection is the key to achieving encouraging results.

[Uneasy nephrectomies]

Kidney exeresis, which is usually a simple surgical procedure, may sometimes be uneasy due to multiple difficulties related to the size of the lesion or anatomic presentation. In this chapter, such difficulties and their related complications are considered from a pragmatic angle, in order to identify some practical solutions.

Hepatic resection for metastatic renal tumors: is it worthwhile?

BACKGROUND

Liver metastases of malignant renal tumors are regarded as having an ominous prognosis because they are infrequently amenable to radical surgery and respond poorly to chemotherapy. Little is known of the outcome of isolated metastases to the liver for which resection is potentially curative.

METHODS

Data on 14 patients with liver metastases from renal tumors who underwent a liver resection in a single center between 1982 and 2001 were analyzed retrospectively.

RESULTS

There was no operative or postoperative mortality. The median survival was 26 months, with a survival rate of 69% at 1 year and 26% at 3 years. The curative pattern of hepatectomy (2-year survival, 69% vs. 0%; P =.001), an interval between the nephrectomy and the diagnosis of liver metastases in excess of 24 months (2-year survival, 71% vs. 25%; P =.05), tumor size <50 mm (2-year survival, 83% vs. 17%; P =.006), and the possibility of achieving a repeat hepatectomy in the case of recurrence (2-year survival, 100% vs. 21%; P =.02) were associated with a better outcome after the liver resection. Four patients were alive without evidence of disease at 6, 12, 26, and 96 months after the first hepatic resection, and one was alive with hepatic recurrence 18 months after resection.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with liver metastases of malignant renal tumors, an aggressive policy for achieving tumor eradication seems to offer a chance for long-term survival, especially after a long disease-free interval from the nephrectomy. However, despite an aggressive policy for achieving tumor eradication, recurrence frequently occurs after liver resection.

Cryoablation and liver resection for noncolorectal liver metastases

BACKGROUND

Liver resection for noncolorectal liver metastases has merit for selected primary tumor types. The role of cryosurgical tumor ablation within this cohort of patients has not been evaluated. This is a single institutional review of treatment outcomes using cryosurgical ablation and conventional resection techniques for noncolorectal liver metastases.

METHODS

The medical records of 42 patients undergoing 48 hepatic tumor ablative procedures from February 1991 through May 2001 at a single institution were retrospectively reviewed. Overall survival and local hepatic tumor recurrence-free survival were analyzed for different surgical procedures and primary tumor types.

RESULTS

Overall survival rates at 1, 3, and 5 years are 82%, 55%, and 39%, respectively (median survival, 45 months). Local hepatic tumor recurrence-free survival rates for resection only (n = 25) and cryosurgery with or without resection (n = 23), at 3 years are 24% and 19%, respectively. The survival rates at 5 years are 40% and 37%, for resection only and cryosurgery with or without resection, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Cryosurgical hepatic tumor ablation for metastatic noncolorectal primary tumors results in survival and local hepatic tumor recurrence rates similar to resection alone. The combination of cryosurgery and resection extends the cohort of patients with surgically treatable disease.

Surgical management of renal cell carcinoma invading into the liver: radical nephrectomy en bloc with right hepatic lateral sector

Renal cell carcinoma demonstrates expansive growth and invasion of adjacent structures. Direct liver extension, although uncommon, is a dismal prognostic sign. We propose radical nephrectomy en bloc with right lateral sector (segments 6 and 7) of the liver. The operative procedure was performed in 2 male patients, 61 and 81 years of age, both with renal cell carcinoma and direct hepatic extension. The patients had no evidence of disease at 100 and 57 months after resection. This procedure may help cure selected patients with renal cell carcinoma invading the liver.

Surgery for metachronous solitary liver metastases of renal cell carcinoma

PURPOSE

The postoperative outcome and survival of patients undergoing surgery for metachronous solitary liver metastases of renal cell carcinoma were evaluated.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Between 1983 and 1993, 17 patients with metachronous liver metastases of renal cell carcinoma underwent laparotomy for metastatic liver disease. All patients had undergone radical nephrectomy a mean of 3.6 years before the diagnosis of liver metastases.

RESULTS

Surgical resection was feasible in 13 of 17 patients with right hemihepatectomy in 9 (3 multivisceral resections), wedge resection in 4 and ex situ (mobilization and eversion out of the abdomen) resection in 1. Stage R0 resection (complete removal, negative surgical margins with no macroscopic disease left behind) was possible in 11 of 13 cases (85%). In patients with metastatic liver tissue resection the mortality rate was 31% (4 of 13) with additional significant morbidity in another 2. Mean survival of patients with nonresectable disease was 4 months, which increased to 16 months after resection.

CONCLUSIONS

Complete resection of metachronous liver metastases can be achieved in the majority of patients. However, significant morbidity and mortality as well as the limited prognosis even after R0 resection strongly suggest careful patient selection.

Hepatic resection for noncolorectal, nonneuroendocrine metastases: a fifteen-year experience with ninety-six patients

BACKGROUND

The role of liver resection for hepatic metastases from noncolorectal, nonneuroendocrine (NCNN) cancers is unknown. This study examines a large, single institutional experience of hepatic resection for NCNN metastases.

METHODS

Records of 96 patients who underwent liver resection for metastatic NCNN cancer from 1980 to 1995 at a single institution were reviewed. Survival after liver resection in this cohort of patients is reported, and factors predictive of survival are analyzed.

RESULTS

Resection was performed for liver metastases from genitourinary primary tumors (n = 34), soft tissue primary tumors (n = 41), and metastases from other primary cancers (n = 21). Extent of liver resection included wedge (n = 32), lobectomy (n = 44), and extended hepatic lobectomy (n = 20). No operative deaths occurred. Overall survival rate after resection at 1, 3, and 5 years was 80%, 45% and 37%, respectively (median survival, 32 months), with 12 actual 5-year survivors. There was no difference in survival according to the type of liver resection, bilateral versus unilateral disease, or resection of extrahepatic disease. Disease-free interval of less than 36 months before discovery of liver metastases, curative resection, and primary tumor group (genitourinary was greater than soft tissue, which was greater than gastrointestinal) were predictors of a significantly better survival by multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Primary tumor type, disease-free interval, and curative resection predict those patients who benefit from hepatic resection. Hepatic resection for patients with NCNN metastasis has value in carefully selected patients.