How far should we treat metastatic liver cancer? Report of three long‐term survivors

The major issue in treating metastatic liver cancer is: how far should we perform resection? We believe that only reports of long‐term survival afford an answer to this problem. We report three such patients. The first patient underwent pancreatoduodenectomy for cancer of the papilla of the duodenum and resection of metastatic liver cancer. She is alive without recurrence 15 years and 1 month after the initial surgery. The second patient received low anterior resection for rectal cancer, extended right lobectomy for liver metastasis, and pancreatoduodenectomy for metastasis at the common bile duct. She survived 6 years and 9 months after the initial surgery. The third patient underwent right nephrectomy for Wilms' tumor (adult type), extended right lobectomy for liver metastasis, and repeat resection of recurrences at the mediastinum and in the thoracic and abdominal walls. She is alive 21 years and 2 months after the initial surgery. These experiences have prompted us to carry out resection when surgery is deemed feasible.