Results of treatment of primary liver cancer at Kaunas University of Medicine Hospital.

Though the results of treatment of primary liver cancer depend on many circumstances, the opportunity to perform a curative liver resection remains the main point in prognosis on survival. The aim of the study was to examine our first experience in the treatment of liver cancer. From 1996 to 2001 we observed 54 patients with liver cancer: 46 hepatocellular and 6 cholangiocellular carcinomas, 1 malignant carcinoid, and 1 carcinosarcoma. In presence of liver cirrhosis (21 patients, 38.8%) hepatic function was evaluated using Child Pugh classification. Lesions were multiple in 28 cases and single in 26 cases. Ten patients (18.5%) were radically resected, 12 patients (22.2%) were managed by laparotomy and biopsy, 2 by percutaneous ethanol injections, 1 by trans-ileocolic portal vein embolization + hepatic artery embolization. There were 7 deaths (28%) and 18 complications (72%) after the surgical treatment. The survival results of patients who underwent resection were better (median 240 days) compared with palliative treatment group (median 113.3 days); by Log-Rank test p=0.208. CONCLUSION. The use of liver resections in patients affected by single or monolateral liver cancer is effective and potentially radical treatment. Mortality and morbidity rate is high. Alternative therapies can be conveniently considered in case of multicentric Child B-C patients.