Cecal cancer with essential thrombocythemia treated by laparoscopic ileocecal resection: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Essential thrombocythemia (ET) is a myeloproliferative disorder characterized by thrombocytosis and a propensity for both thrombotic and hemorrhagic events. ET rarely occurs simultaneously with colorectal cancer. Here, we report a case of colorectal cancer in an ET patient treated using laparoscopic ileocecal resection. CASE PRESENTATION: A 40-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital after presenting with liver dysfunction. She had been previously diagnosed with ET; aspirin and anagrelide had been prescribed. Subsequent examination at our hospital revealed cecal cancer. Distant metastasis was absent; laparoscopic ileocecal resection was performed. Anagrelide was discontinued only on the surgery day. She was discharged on the seventh postoperative day without thrombosis or hemorrhage. However, when capecitabine and oxaliplatin were administered as adjuvant chemotherapy with continued anagrelide administration, she experienced hepatic dysfunction and thrombocytopenia; thus, anagrelide was discontinued. Five days later, her platelet count recovered. Subsequently, anagrelide and aspirin administration was resumed, without any adjuvant chemotherapy. Her liver function normalized gradually in 4 months. One-year post operation, she is well without tumor recurrence or new metastasis. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the first report of laparoscopic colectomy performed on an ET patient receiving anagrelide. Our report shows that complications such as bleeding or thrombosis can be avoided by anagrelide administration. Contrastingly, thrombocytopenia due to anagrelide intake should be considered when chemotherapy that could cause bone marrow suppression is administered.

[Portal venous stent placement for variceal hemorrhage in the elevated jejunum caused by portal vein stenosis after pancreatoduodenectomy:a case report].

An 86-year-old male underwent pancreatoduodenectomy with resection and reconstruction of portal vein for pancreatic cancer. He was admitted to our hospital because of severe anemia and dyspnea ten months later. Computed tomography showed varices at the biliary-enteric anastomosis in the elevated jejunum caused by portal venous stenosis, which was suspected as the cause of anemia. Therefore, the patient underwent balloon dilatation of the portal vein followed by stent placement and coil embolization of the collaterals using a transileocolic portal vein approach. After the procedure, portal venous flow was improved, and the collaterals disappeared. The patient has been asymptomatic with no recurrence for three years and four months.

[A Case of Resection of Advanced Pancreatic Adenosquamous Carcinoma in which Multidisciplinary Treatment Was Effective].

A 72-year-old man with general fatigue was referred, and CT and MRI revealed a pancreatic mass with necrosis that was suspected of invading the stomach, splenic artery, celiac artery, liver, and portal vein. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy showed an extrinsic mass with ulcer formation in the posterior wall of the upper gastric corpus and irregular mucosa in the lower esophagus incidentally. Biopsy showed squamous cell carcinoma from both lesions, leading to the diagnosis of pancreatic adenosquamous carcinoma and early esophageal cancer. We performed distal pancreatectomy with splenectomy, total gastrectomy, partial hepatectomy, superior mesenteric-portal vein resection, and reconstruction. The pathological results revealed pancreatic adenosquamous carcinoma and infiltration of cancer cells at the dissected peripancreatic margin. Therefore, we administered radiotherapy(50.4 Gy to the retroperitoneal region)in postoperative month 2. Endoscopic mucosal resection was performed for the early stage esophageal cancer lesion in postoperative month 5. Three courses of S-1 were administered as adjuvant therapy since postoperative month 7, and he is currently alive without recurrence 1 year and 8 months after surgery. Multidisciplinary treatment can be effective for locally advanced pancreatic adenosquamous carcinoma.

Modified enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols for patients with obstructive colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols are now well-known to be useful for elective colorectal surgery, as they result in shorter hospital stays without adversely affecting morbidity. However, the efficacy and safety of ERAS protocols for patients with obstructive colorectal cancer have yet to be clarified. METHODS: We evaluated 122 consecutive resections for obstructive colorectal cancer performed between July 2008 and November 2012 at Tokyo Metropolitan Bokutoh Hospital. Patients with rupture or impending rupture and those who received simple colostomy were excluded. The first set of 42 patients was treated based on traditional protocols, and the latter 80 according to modified ERAS protocols. The main endpoints were length of postoperative hospital stay, postoperative short-term morbidity, rate of readmission within 30 days, and mortality. Differences in modified ERAS protocols relative to traditional care include intensive preoperative counseling (by both surgeons and anesthesiologists), perioperative fluid management (avoidance of sodium/fluid overload), shortening of postoperative fasting period and early provision of oral nutrition, intraoperative warm air body heating, enforced postoperative mobilization, stimulation of gut motility, early removal of urinary catheter, and a multidisciplinary team approach to care. RESULTS: Median (interquartile range) postoperative hospital stay was 10 (10-14.25) days in the traditional group, and seven (7-8.75) days in the ERAS group, showing a 3-day reduction in hospital stay (p < 0.01). According to the Clavien-Dindo classification, overall incidences of grade 2 or higher postoperative complications for the traditional and ERAS groups were 15 and 10% (p = 0.48), and 30-day readmission rates were 0 and 1.3% (p = 1.00), respectively. As for mortality, one patient in the traditional group died and none in the ERAS group (p = 0.34). CONCLUSION: Modified ERAS protocols for obstructive colorectal cancer reduced hospital stay without adversely affecting morbidity, indicating that ERAS protocols are feasible for patients with obstructive colorectal cancer.

Erratum to immediate breast volume replacement using a free dermal fat graft after breast cancer surgery: multi-institutional joint research of short-term outcomes in 262 Japanese patients.

[This corrects the article on p. 179 in vol. 4, PMID: 26005649.].

[A Case of Solitary Metastasis to the Small Intestine from Sigmoid Colon Cancer after Treatment of Seven Multiple Cancers].

A 75-year-old woman who had undergone a Hartmann's operation for sigmoid colon cancer 2 years ago was hospitalized because she experienced small bowel obstruction several times. She had a treatment history of 6 other cancers, including 5 gastrointestinal tract cancers. However, the obstruction was relieved by conservative therapy each time. In September 2015, she was hospitalized for ileus. Abdominal computed tomography revealed that the lumen of intestine was partially dilated. Subsequently, a long tube was inserted, but the dilatation of the small intestine was not fully recovered. She was diagnosed with small intestinal obstruction due to adhesion, and she underwent an operation in October 2015. During the laparotomy, she was diagnosed with adhesion due to an intestinal tumor, and a partial intestinal resection, including the entire tumor, was performed. Because the tumor appearance and histological findings were very similar to those of sigmoid colon cancer, the tumor was diagnosed as a solitary metastasis of sigmoid colon cancer to the small intestine. Generally, peritoneal dissemination causes metastasis of colon cancer to the small intestine. However, this is a rare case because the lymphatic system or extra-wall invasion was the most likely cause of metastasis. Ileus repeating the improvement exacerbation, an examination must be performed while considering possible intestinal tumors, especially for a patient previously treated for multiple gastrointestinal cancers.

The postoperative patient-reported quality of recovery in colorectal cancer patients under enhanced recovery after surgery using QoR-40.

BACKGROUND: Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols may reduce postoperative complications and the length of hospital stay. Studies of the effectiveness of ERAS should include not only doctor-reported outcomes, but also patient-reported outcomes, in order to better estimate their impact on recovery. However, patient-reported outcomes are not commonly reported. Thus, it needs to be assessed whether early discharge from the hospital is compatible with a better outcome from the viewpoint of the patients themselves. METHODS: The 40-item quality of recovery score (QoR-40) is a recovery-specific, and patient-rated questionnaire, which provides a good measurement of early postoperative recovery. Ninety-four colorectal cancer patients undergoing surgery under ERAS protocol management were asked to answer QoR-40 questionnaires preoperatively and on post-operative day (POD) 1, 3, 6 and one month after surgery. RESULTS: The median (25th, 75th percentiles) preoperative global QoR-40 scores as an indicator of the baseline health status, was 189 (176.75, 197). On POD1 and POD3, the scores had decreased significantly to 154 (132.5, 164.25) and 177 (161.75, 190), respectively. On POD 6, the score dramatically recovered up to 183.5 (167.9, 191), which was not significantly different from the baseline level (p = 0.06). The scores at 1 month after surgery were 190 (176, 197). Younger patients, compared to older patients, and rectal cancer patients, compared to colon cancer patients, had significantly lower scores on POD1. CONCLUSION: This study clearly demonstrated that the quality of recovery based on patient-reported outcomes is in agreement with discharge around POD6 for colorectal cancer patients under ERAS.

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols for colorectal cancer in Japan.

BACKGROUND: Japan has one of the highest five-year relative survival rates for colorectal cancer in the world, with its own traditions of perioperative care and a unique insurance system. The benefits of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols in the Japanese population have yet to be clarified. METHODS: We evaluated 352 consecutive cases of colorectal cancer resection at Tokyo Metropolitan Bokutoh Hospital between July 2009 and November 2012. Of these, 95 cases were performed according to traditional protocols (traditional group), and 257 according to ERAS protocols (ERAS group), which were introduced to the hospital in July 2010. Primary endpoints included length of postoperative hospital stay, postoperative short-term morbidity, and rate of readmission within 30 days. Intensive pre-admission counselling, no pre- and postoperative fasting (provision of oral nutrition), avoidance of sodium/fluid overload, intraoperative warm-air body heating, enforced postoperative mobilization, and multimodal team care were among the main changes brought about by the introduction of ERAS protocols. RESULTS: The median (interquartile range) length of postoperative hospital stay was 10 (10-12.75) days in the traditional group and seven (6-8) days in the ERAS group, i.e., a three-day reduction (p < 0.05) in the ERAS group. Moreover, the proportion of patients discharged within one week dramatically increased from 1 % to 77 % in the ERAS group. The overall incidence of grade 2 and 3 postoperative complications according to the Clavien-Dindo classification was 9.5 % in the traditional group and 9.3 % in the ERAS group, and 30-day readmission rates were 8.3 % and 6.6 % in the traditional and ERAS groups, respectively. There were no significant differences between the two groups. Although operative time and blood loss did not differ significantly between the two groups, the volume of intraoperative infusion was significantly decreased in the ERAS group (p < 0.05), possibly due to ERAS recommendations to avoid dehydration (i.e., avoidance of sodium/fluid overload, no preoperative fasting). CONCLUSION: ERAS protocols for colorectal surgery helped reduce the length of postoperative hospital stay without adversely affecting morbidity, indicating that ERAS protocols are feasible and effective in Japanese settings as well.

Immediate breast volume replacement using a free dermal fat graft after breast cancer surgery: multi-institutional joint research of short-term outcomes in 262 Japanese patients.

BACKGROUND: Immediate volume replacement using a free dermal fat graft (FDFG) has been proven safe with early postoperative benefits. The aims of the present study were to clarify adequate indications and risk factors associated with operative morbidity. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A multi-institutional analysis of partial mastectomy with immediate volume replacement with FDFG was undertaken in 14 hospitals specializing in breast cancer treatment. Clinical and oncological variables were analyzed to identify factors associated with postoperative complications. RESULTS: A total of 262 cases were analyzed. Considering the observation period and overlap of patients, 13 (5.4%) out of 242 patients had complications within 1 month of surgery while 7 (4.6%) out of 151 patients developed complications 1-12 months after surgery. Two hundred and eleven out of 242 patients were statistically examined using a multivariate analysis, which revealed that the weight of resected breast tissue, size of implanted FDFG (cranio-caudal length), and weight of implanted FDFG were associated with a higher likelihood of postoperative complications. CONCLUSIONS: Immediate breast volume replacement using a FDFG after breast cancer surgery should be done for selected patients with breast cancer to avoid postoperative complications. The prospective and larger investigations are warranted for the establishment of appropriate guidelines.

[Mixed adenoneuroendocrine carcinoma with multiple liver metastases successfully treated by cetuximab/CPT-11 chemotherapy followed by curative resection - a case report].

A 73-year-old man underwent laparoscopy-assisted partial resection of the rectum to treat rectal cancer diagnosed in September 2011 at a previous hospital. Lymph node dissection was not performed and the vertical margin was positive. When multiple liver tumors were detected 10 months later, the patient was referred to our hospital. A computed tomography (CT) scan revealed local recurrence of the rectal cancer, lymph node metastasis, and 9 liver metastases, which had a maximum diameter of 10 cm, and where curative resection would have been difficult. The rectal cancer expressed epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and wild type K-ras gene, and we initiated cetuximab/irinotecan (CPT-11) chemotherapy. After 2 courses of chemotherapy, the liver tumors had markedly decreased in size and anterior resection of the rectum with regional lymph node dissection was performed. The pathological diagnosis of the rectal tumor was mixed adenoneuroendocrine carcinoma ( MANEC). Extended right hepatectomy was performed four months later. The liver tumors were also diagnosed as metastases of MANEC of the rectum. The therapeutic efficacy of chemotherapy was assessed as Grade 1b. The patient is alive without recurrence 34 months since the initial rectal surgery and 15 months after the liver resection. Thus, an anti-EGFR antibody agent might be effective against MANEC of the colon and rectum.

[Third-line therapy in a patient with recurrent colon cancer undergoing hemodialysis].

A 68-year-old man undergoing hemodialysis (HD) was diagnosed with recurrence of colon cancer and liver metastasis. He was treated with oxaliplatin, folinic acid and 5-fluorouracil (FOLFOX4), folinic acid, 5-fluorouracil and irinotecan (FOLFIRI), FOLFIRI+bevacizumab (BV), and cetuximab+irinotecan (CPT-11) as third-line therapy. Each drug was adequately reduced over time, but cetuximab was administered at the standard dose. The patient died of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) meningitis during the course of cetuximab+CPT-11 therapy, but there was no relation between the meningitis and the therapy. Therefore, each regimen can be safely performed, and cetuximab+CPT-11 therapy showed a significant anti-tumor effect and hence may be an effective regimen.

Emphysematous cholecystitis with massive gas in the abdominal cavity.

Emphysematous cholecystitis is a rare variant of acute cholecystitis with a high mortality rate. The combination of emphysematous cholecystitis and pneumoperitoneum is also rare. We herein describe a case of emphysematous cholecystitis with massive gas in the abdominal cavity. A 77-year-old male presented with epigastric pain and lassitude lasting for one week. A computed tomography scan demonstrated massive gas in the abdominal cavity. Gas was also detectable inside the gallbladder. Massive ascites as well as a pleural effusion were also detected. Under the diagnosis of perforation of the digestive tract, we performed emergency surgery. Beyond our expectations, the perforation site was not in the alimentary tract, but rather in the gallbladder. We then diagnosed the patient with emphysematous cholecystitis with perforation, and performed cholecystectomy. A pathological examination of the resected gallbladder revealed necrosis in the mucosa and thinning of the wall. Cultures of the ascites detected Clostridium perfringens, a gas-producing microorganism.

Continuous ultrasound navigation for safe and precise anatomic resection of the liver.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Anatomic resection of the liver is one of the essential techniques in liver surgery. However, parenchymal transection precisely along intersegmental planes is still a technically demanding procedure, and an optimal navigation method is required. METHODOLOGY: Real-time ultrasound monitoring with a probe applied from behind the liver was tried as a means of locating the site where resection was proceeding in the liver and confirming the direction of hepatic parenchymal transection to facilitate anatomic resection of the liver. RESULTS: The ultrasound navigation technique was performed during 11 hepatectomies in 10 patients in whom adequate retrohepatic space could be obtained to position the ultrasound probe. Continuous monitoring of the site in the liver where the resection was being performed was feasible, and the optimal direction of parenchymal transection was easily determined on the basis of the ultrasound images without interrupting the surgical maneuvers. The mean speed of parenchymal transection was faster (2.4cm2/min vs. 1.2cm2/min, p=0.009) and the amount of blood loss per transected area was smaller (4.4mL/cm2 vs. 7.2mL/cm2, p=0.05) in patients treated with the current technique. CONCLUSIONS: Continuous ultrasound monitoring of the liver facilitates the safe and precise parenchymal transection during anatomic resections of the liver.

[Treatment strategy for patients with multiple liver metastases of colorectal origin in the era of adjuvant chemotherapy].

A treatment strategy that includes adjuvant chemotherapy needs to be developed for the treatment of patients with multiple liver metastases of colorectal origin. Of the 91 patients who underwent initial hepatic resection for colorectal liver metastases, we reviewed the clinical courses of 10 patients who had 7 or more metastatic liver nodules. Twenty-one, 19, 17, and 9 metastases were initially resected in each of the 4 patients, and 7 metastases were resected in each of the remaining 6 patients. Portal vein embolization was performed in 3 patients, 2 of whom underwent two-stage hepatectomy. Adjuvant chemotherapy was administered to all the 10 patients. Recurrence was detected in all the 10 patients; however, in 6 of these patients, liver was the only site of recurrence. Repeated hepatic resection was performed in 5 of the 6 patients. As of the mean follow-up period of 25 months, 4 patients were alive and cancer-free, 4 were undergoing chemotherapy, and 2 had died of their cancer. Improvement in the survival outcome of patients with 7 or more colorectal liver metastases can be expected by treating them with adjuvant chemotherapy in addition to aggressive surgical procedures, including extended hemihepatectomy, portal venous embolization, two-stage hepatectomy, and repeated resection.

[A case of small intestinal cancer with peritoneal metastases treated with FOLFOX regimen].

A38 -year-old man complaining of abdominal pain was diagnosed with small intestinal cancer. Small intestinal endoscopy and PET-CT showed a primary jejunal cancer and five peritoneal metastases. Partial resection of the jejunum with three metastases was performed, but the others were unresectable. After surgery, FOLFOX chemotherapy was adapted. Follow-up pelvic CT showed a remarkable reduction of tumor size during FOLFOX chemotherapy after 4 courses, and follow-up PET-CT showed no tumor intake FDG after 10 courses. We judged him to be a complete response and stopped chemotherapy. After 7 months, the patient's level of tumor markers elevated, and there was recurrence. We resumed FOLFOX, and the chemotherapy for this patient is still being continued.

Primary sellar lymphoma: intravascular large B-cell lymphoma diagnosed as a double cancer and improved with chemotherapy, and literature review of primary parasellar lymphoma.

Lymphoma is one of the causative factors of hypothalamus-pituitary dysfunction, and intravascular large B-cell lymphoma (IVLBCL) is a subtype of primary extranodal neoplasm. A 69-year-old woman visited our hospital because of general fatigue. We diagnosed her with presumable non-functional primary pituitary adenoma and subsequent dysfunction. Eight months after, the patient revisited our hospital because of dyspnea. Though we conducted systemic investigations including chest and abdomen enhanced computer tomography, transbronchial lung biopsy, and bone marrow biopsy, the diagnosis was not confirmed. Inadvertently, a breast cancer was found, and the surgical specimen proved that the patient had double cancer-adenocarcinoma and IVLBCL. Rituximab, cyclophosphamide, adriamycin, vincristine, and prednisolone regimen was initiated, and complete remission was achieved. Notably, the sellar mass returned to normal size with improved function. We reviewed 32 patients with primary parasellar lymphoma. In affected sites, both sellar and pituitary stalk (6.7%), both hypothalamus and pituitary stalk (6.7%), only sellar (63.3%), only pituitary stalk (6.7%), only hypothalamus (13.3%), and only clivus (3.3%) were observed. In hypothalamus-pituitary dysfunction, both anterior and posterior dysfunction (20.7%), only anterior dysfunction (58.6%), only posterior dysfunction (3.4%), and no dysfunction (17.2%) were observed. It seemed that hypothalamic lesion is related to both anterior and posterior dysfunction, while sellar lesion is related to mainly anterior dysfunction. In cranial nerve dysfunction, 2nd nerve dysfunction (45.2%) and 6th nerve dysfunction (35.5%) were frequently observed. It seemed that sellar lesion is related to both 2nd and 6th nerve dysfunction, while hypothalamic lesion is related to mainly 2nd nerve dysfunction.

[A case of elder gastric cancer patient who relapsed at the local stomach wall and the regional lymph node at the time of six months after endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD)].

A case is a woman of 81-year-old. She was admitted to our hospital for a close examination of anemia from her family doctor. Gastroscopy revealed a 15 mm diameter of the type 0-IIa+IIc lesion at the posterior wall to the lesser curvature of the gastric body. And the biopsy of the lesion revealed a moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma (tub2). In consideration of the gastrectomy at this point, but firstly, an endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) was planned to perform for gaining the total pathological diagnosis of the lesion. Pathological findings revealed that the cancer cell invaded massively to submucosa (sm2), and that lymphatic permeation and venous permeation were also presented (ly2, v2). We explained it to the patient about the necessity of additional gastric resection, but she rejected the operation. So we had no choice but to observe the patient closely. Two months after the ESD, gastroscopy revealed no recurrent signs. But six months after the ESD, the local area of the stomach was revealed type 2 advanced gastric cancer, and computed tomography (CT) revealed a lymphoid swelling at the side of lesser curvature. We performed distal gastrectomy and D2 lymphoid dissection at this point. The final pathological diagnosis was T2 (ss) N2H0P0M0, Stage IIIA, based on the Japanese classification of gastric cancer. Adjuvant chemotherapy (oral fluoropylimidine) was interrupted in short period because of the side effects such as nausea, appetite loss, and diarrhea. There has been no recurrence for 1 year and six months since the operation. ESD is a minimally invasive technique and it is safe, convenient, and efficacious from the gastric functional point of view. However, the therapeutic strategies of the early gastric cancer, especially submucosally invasive gastric cancer, must be decided carefully and individually, considering the risk factors and the postoperative quality of life (QOL).

[A case of recurrent colon cancer patient who gained a long-term survival by repeated and aggressive surgical resection].

A case is a woman of 55-years-old. We performed right hemicolectomy with liver S7 partial excision (a postoperative diagnosis of the hepatic lesion, adenoma) for ascending colon carcinoma of type 2 with hepatic metastasis. Postoperative diagnosis was ss, n2, ly2, v2, Stage IIIb, based on the Japanese classification of colon cancer. Twelve months after the first operation, she was developed intestinal atresia by an abdominal wall recurrence, and we performed the operation of abdominal wall mass resection with a partial resection of small bowel. Afterwards she developed a recurrence three times in the abdominal wall or intra-abdominal lymph nodes during the next 1 year and six months, and we performed a local excision each time. The pathological findings in reoperations were all metastasis from ascending colon carcinoma of primary operation. After the final operation, we did not perform chemotherapy because the patient wished not to have it. There has been no recurrence for 6 years since the first operation, or 3 years since the last operation. Recently, the therapy for recurrent colon cancer has been shifted to more effective chemotherapy such as FOLFOX or FOLFIRI regimen, and a surgical resection is becoming rare. However, we experienced a case of recurrent colon cancer treated with four aggressive surgical resections that was beneficial for a long-term survival.

[Local recurrence of pancreatic cancer successfully treated with gemcitabine].

We report a patient for whom systemic chemotherapy using gemcitabine was effective against local recurrence of pancreatic cancer. A 58-year-old man underwent pancreatoduodenectomy for a pancreatic head cancer. The diagnosis was Stage IVb poorly-differentiated tubular adenocarcinoma, scirrhous type, pT4, PL (+), P0, H0, pN2. However, after 21 months, gastrointestinal bleeding occurred. Gastroscopy and CT examination revealed a mass at the cut-end of the pancreas invading the stomach. The serum CA19-9 level was found to be elevated. Systemic chemotherapy was performed with a regimen of gemcitabine 1,000 mg/m2/week for 2 weeks, followed by a week rest. The recurrent tumor in the stomach disappeared, and the mass at the cut-end of the pancreas became small. The serum CA 19-9 level regained the normal value. Two years after the diagnosis of recurrence, he returned to work, and his chemotherapy is being continued as an outpatient.

Clinicopathological features and outcome of hepatic resection for liver metastasis from gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The efficacy of operative resection of lesions metastatic to the liver from colorectal or neuroendocrine tumor is well established. However, the appropriate management of liver metastasis from gastric cancer is controversial. We analyzed the prognostic factors in patients who underwent hepatectomy for metastasis from gastric cancer. METHODOLOGY: Retrospective clinical and pathological study in Tokyo Metropolitan Bokutoh Hospital. Ten patients underwent hepatectomy for metastases from gastric cancer out of 1807 patients with gastric cancer between 1981 and 1998. INTERVENTIONS: Clinical investigation and histopathological examination of resected specimen. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Survival, recurrence, liver metastases and lymph node metastases. RESULTS: The 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates of these ten patients were 50%, 30%, 20%, respectively. The median survival time was 25 months, and two patients survived longer than five years. The survival time tended to be longer, but not to a significant extent, in patients with no lymph nodal involvement at the primary site (P = 0.067). CONCLUSIONS: Even though it is rare, a survival time of 5-years can be achieved by resection of gastric cancer metastatic to the liver. These results suggest that a patient with liver metastasis from gastric cancer has a greater chance of surviving long-term if there is no lymph node metastasis at the primary site.