Management of residual cancer tissue on cutting surface with ethanal during hepatectomy

Due to the fact that primary liver cancer possesses no capsule in addition to many of the following features such as infiltrative growth, ill-defined border, associated with liver cirrhosis, cutting surface with residue of carcinoma during hepatectomy is very common which leads to high recurrence rate. From January 1990 through December 1993, 81 cases of primary liver cancer which had residual cancer tissue at the cutting surface during hepatectomy were treated with ethanal application. The 1-, 2-, 3-year-survival rate were 93.8%, 81.2% and 56.1% respectively for the 45 patients who had only apparent residual carcinoma at the cutting surface, while the same rates were 54.1%, 29.6%, 11.9% for the other 36 patients who had both involved nodes carcinoma on the cutting surface. The results showed that local application of ethanol for cancer tissue on the cutting surface during hepatectomy is a useful and simple means to improve the prognosis.

Duke Scholars

Author Qi-Jing Li Integrative Immunobiology