The Role of Liver-directed Surgery in Patients with Hepatic Metastasis from a Gynecologic Primary Carcinoma

Background The management of patients with liver metastasis from a gynecologic carcinoma remains controversial, as there is currently little data available. We sought to determine the safety and efficacy of liver-directed surgery for hepatic metastasis from gynecologic primaries. Methods Between 1990 and 2010, 87 patients with biopsy-proven liver metastasis from a gynecologic carcinoma were identified from an institutional hepatobiliary database. Fifty-two (60%) patients who underwent hepatic surgery for their liver disease and 35 (40%) patients who underwent biopsy only were matched for age, primary tumor characteristics, and hepatic tumor burden. Clinicopathologic, operative, and outcome data were collected and analyzed. Results Of the 87 patients, 30 (34%) presented with synchronous metastasis. The majority of patients had multiple hepatic tumors (63%), with a median size of the largest lesion being 2.5 cm. Of those patients who underwent liver surgery ( n = 52), most underwent a minor hepatic resection ( n = 44; 85%), while 29 (56%) patients underwent concurrent lymphadenectomy and 45 (87%) patients underwent simultaneous peritoneal debulking. Postoperative morbidity and mortality were 37% and 0%, respectively. Median survival from time of diagnosis was 53 months for patients who underwent liver-directed surgery compared with 21 months for patients who underwent biopsy alone ( n = 35) ( p = 0.01). Among those patients who underwent liver-directed surgery, 5-year survival following hepatic resection was 41%. Conclusions Hepatic surgery for liver metastasis from gynecologic cancer can be performed safely. Liver surgery may be associated with prolonged survival in a subset of patients with hepatic metastasis from gynecologic primaries and therefore should be considered in carefully selected patients.