Surgical Resection of Synchronous Liver Metastases in Gastric Cancer Patients. A Propensity Score-matched Study

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to determine the value of synchronous liver resection in patients with oligo-metastatic gastric cancer and the prognostic factors in these patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We compared the results of 21 gastric patients with liver metastases and synchronous liver resection (LMR) to 21 propensity score-matched patients with gastric cancer and liver metastases in whom liver resection was not performed (LM0) and to a propensity score-matched control group of 21 patients without liver metastases and stage III and IV resectable gastric cancer (CG). RESULTS: The overall 5-year survival of LMR, LM0 and CG were 14.3%, 0%, and 19%, respectively (p = 0.002). Five-year survival was 47.5% for well-differentiated tumour compared to 0% in patients with moderate or poor tumour differentiation (p = 0.006). In addition, patients with R0 resection and TNM stage N0–1 had a significantly better survival compared to patients with TNM N stage N2–3 (5-year survival: 60% for N0–1 vs. 7.7% for N2–3; p = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS: The results presented in the study support synchronous liver resections in gastric patients and provide additional criteria for patient selection.