[Risk factors of liver metastasis in patients after radical resection of pancreatic cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the risk factors of liver metastasis in patients after radical resection of pancreatic cancer. METHODS: One hundred and twenty-four patients with non-metastatic, resectable pancreatic cancer treated in our department between 2006 and 2012 were included in this study. All of these patients underwent resection of the primary tumor combined with extensive lymph node dissection. The development of postoperative liver metastases was carefully followed up, and the clinicopathological factors and molecular characteristics were evaluated by univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression using SPSS 16.0 software. RESULTS: Forty-eight cases of liver metastases were found among the 124 cases of pancreatic cancer after radical surgery (38.7%). The rate of liver metastasis of pancreatic cancer after radical surgery in the age groups < 40, 40-60, and > 60 were 68.8%, 33.3% and 35.1%, respectively. The rate of liver metastasis in the body mass index (BMI) group < 20 kg/m2, 20-25 kg/m2, and > 25 kg/m2 were 21.6%, 44.1% and 52.6%, and the rate of liver metastasis in the time between the onset and diagnosis groups ≥ 3 months and < 3 months were 59.4% and 31.5%, respectively. The rate of liver metastasis in patients with preoperative fatty liver was 14.3% and it was 43.7% in patients without preoperative fatty liver. The rate of liver metastasis in patients of histological high, medium and low grade was 10.0%, 35.4% and 49.0%, respectively. The rate of liver metastasis in patients with venous tumor thrombus was 68.8% and it was 34.3% in patients without venous tumor embolus. The rate of liver metastasis in patients with postoperative chemotherapy was 31.2% and it was 51.1% in patients without postoperative chemotherapy. All those differences had statistical significance (P < 0.05). Univariate analysis revealed that age, body mass index (BMI), time between the onset and diagnosis, preoperative fatty liver, histological grading, tumor invasion depth, venous tumor embolus, and postoperative chemotherapy were significantly related to postoperative liver metastasis. Multivariate analysis revealed five statistically independent risk factors for postoperative liver metastasis: BMI, time between onset and diagnosis, preoperative fatty liver, histological grading, and venous tumor embolus. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that patient's BMI, time between onset and diagnosis, histological grade, and venous tumor embolus are significantly correlated with postoperative liver metastases in patients with pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer patients with preoperative fatty liver have less postoperative liver metastasis.

Prognostic analysis of asynchronous liver metastasis in patients with pancreatic cancer / 中华胰腺病杂志

Objective To analyse tratment strategies and to evaluate the relation between different therapies and survival rate of patients of with asynchronous liver metastases after pancreatic cancer surgery (PCLM).Methods From January 2006 to January 2012,48 patients with PCLM were included in this study,and their medical records were retrospectively analyzed.Results Among the 48 patients,27 cases of liver metastases were found within six months after surgery,and the survival rate for 1,3 and 5 years was 22.2％,3.7％ and 0％,respectively,with the median survival of 6 months,and 21 cases of liver metastases were found after six months,and the survival rate for 1,3 and 5 years was 85.7％,30.6％ and 9.2％,with the median survival of 15 months,and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P ＜ 0.01).After pancreatic cancer surgery and adjuvant gemcitabine chemotherapy,the probability of liver metastases was 33.3％ (8/24) within six months,the median disease-free survival time was 8 months and the disease-free survival rate for 1,3 and 5 years was 20.8％,4.3％ and 0％.For patients without adjuvant gemcitabine chemotherapy,the probability of liver metastases was 79.2％ (19/24),the median disease-free survival time was 3 months and the disease-free survival rate for 1,3 and 5 years was 4.2％,0％ and 0％,and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P ＜ 0.01).The overall survival for patients undergoing resection of liver metastases combined with gemcitabine treatment was better than the other groups (P ＜ 0.01).And the overall survival for patients undergoing transhepatic arterial embolization (TACE) combined with gemcitabine treatment was better than TACE group,gemcitabine group or the observation group (P ＜0.05).There were no difference in overall survival between TACE group,gemcitabine group and observation group.Conclusions Pancreatic cancer patients who develop liver metastasis within six months after surgery have poor prognosis,but postoperative chemotherapy can delay the development of liver metastasis.For patients with resectable lesion,resection of asynchronous liver metastasis is the treatment of choice,and TACE combined with gemcitabine has better efficacy than that of single treatment.