Background & objective: Pulmonary resection is considered as an active therapy for malignant tumor patients with pulmonary metastasis. This study was to evaluate the efficacy of pulmonary resection for primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with pulmonary metastasis.
Methods: Clinicpathologic data and outcomes of 12 HCC patients underwent pulmonary resection due to pulmonary metastasis were analyzed.
Results: Among the 12 patients, 9 had 1 or 2 pulmonary metastases, 1 of which had relapsed pulmonary metastasis after the first pulmonary resection; the other 3 patients who had 3 or more pulmonary metastases all recurred with pulmonary metastasis after the first pulmonary resection. The median survival time was 52 months after the first hepatectomy and 24 months after the first pulmonary resection. The overall 1-, 3-and 5-year survival rates were 100.0%,75.0% and 47.3% after the first hepatectomy, and 83.3%, 46.7% and 21.0% after the first pulmonary resection, respectively.
Conclusion: When intrahepatic recurrence is effectively controlled, HCC patients with 1 or 2 pulmonary metastases might benefit from pulmonary resection and achieve prolonged survival.