Abstract
A 57-year-old man was diagnosed as having advanced carcinoma of the thoracic esophagus with synchronous solitary liver metastasis 18 mm in diameter at the segment 6. He underwent subtotal esophagectomy and partial hepatectomy (S6) under right thoracotomy and laparotomy. The histopathological diagnosis was poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma (pT3N2M1, Stage IVb). He was initially treated by systemic chemotherapy with 5-FU and CDDP (FP therapy). Five months after the operation, cerebellar metastasis was detected. He underwent resection of the cerebellar metastasis and received radiation therapy to the whole brain. Then the FP systemic chemotherapy was resumed, but left lung and right renal metastases were found one year and 7 months after the initial operation. After the FP therapy was converted to docetaxel and nedaplatin chemotherapy regimen, right renal metastasis disappeared, and a partial resection of the right lung was performed for the left lung metastasis. He has been free from recurrence over 10 years and 4 months after the first resection, without receiving additional treatment. Hepatic metastasis of esophageal cancer carries poor prognosis and is considered not to be a candidate for surgical resection, because most cases are associated with multiple hepatic or other organ metastases. Hepatectomy, however, may be effective for solitary liver metastasis from esophageal carcinoma.
