Long-term survival of two patients with pancreatic cancer after resection of liver and lung oligometastases: a case report

BACKGROUND: The efficacy of resection of pancreatic cancer metastases has not been established. We here report two patients with long-term survival after resection of lung and liver metastases. CASE PRESENTATION: The first patient underwent distal pancreatectomy for pancreatic cancer. One year later, she underwent partial hepatectomy for a single liver metastasis. She subsequently underwent pulmonary resections 7, 7.5, 9, and 10 years later for pulmonary metastases from pancreatic cancer. Thus, this patient underwent five surgeries for metastases, one for a liver metastasis and four for lung metastases. All of the tumors were pathologically diagnosed as metastatic pancreatic cancer. She is currently alive without new recurrence 10 years after the initial diagnosis. The second patient underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy for pancreatic cancer. Four years later, she underwent a thoracoscopic partial resection for lung metastasis. The tumor was similar to the pancreatic cancer on pathological examination. She is currently alive without new recurrences 6 years after the initial diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Long-term survival can be achieved in some patients with pancreatic cancer by resection of metachronous liver or lung metastases.