[Surgical treatment of melanoma liver metastases]

Abstract

The appearance of liver metastases during the follow-up of a patient with a skin melanoma has classically been considered a sign of a very poor prognosis. There are limited therapeutic options, since these lesions are non-resectable and form part of a disseminated disease in several organs. In certain cases, in those where the disease is restricted to the liver or accompanied by a resectable extra-hepatic disease, hepatectomy can be useful, obtaining acceptable survivals of about 25% at 5 years, although hepatic or skin recurrence is usually early. The limited number of patient cases published, the absence of randomised studies, and the heterogeneity of the series, makes it difficult to reach conclusions to be able to recommend which patients may benefit from liver resection, with an acceptable level of scientific evidence, and thus define its real usefulness. There are also no action plans defined as to when and what type of adjuvant therapy we should use.