Is resection of periampullary or pancreatic adenocarcinoma with synchronous hepatic metastasis justified?
GROUND: To date, no consensus has been reached regarding which primary tumor subtypes are managed appropriately with hepatic metastectomy. Specifically, the role of hepatic resection for metastatic periampullary or pancreatic adenocarcinoma remains controversial. METHODS: Between 1995 and 2005, 1563 patients underwent surgical resection for periampullary carcinoma (n=608 patients) or pancreatic adenocarcinoma (head, n=905 patients; tail, n=50 patients). Data on demographics, operative details, primary tumor status, and-when indicated-extent of hepatic metastasis were collected. RESULTS: Of the 1563 patients who underwent resection of periampullary or pancreatic adenocarcinoma, 22 patients (1.4%) underwent simultaneous hepatic resection for synchronous liver metastasis. The primary tumor site was ampullary (n=1 patient ), duodenal (n=2 patients), distal bile duct (n=2 patients), or pancreas (head, n=10 patients; tail, n=7 patients). The majority of patients (86.4%) had a solitary hepati
