Liver resection in multimodal concepts improves survival of metastatic melanoma: a single-centre case-matched control study

Abstract

Background/aim: The aim of the present study was to define prognostic factors and to evaluate liver resection as an additive tool in metastatic melanoma.

Patients and methods: In a case-control study, 32 patients with hepatic melanoma metastasis were analyzed between 1998-2012. Sixteen patients who underwent liver resection (6 patients with multimodal therapy) were matched to 16 patients scheduled for non-surgical approaches. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed.

Results: Following primary resection and liver resection, respectively, survival was better for patients who underwent surgery in addition to multimodal therapy with 219 and 28 months, when compared to patients scheduled for non-surgical approaches with 64 (p=0.04) and 8 months (p=0.6). Following primary resection, primary tumor site, metastatic time <70 months, combination of multimodal therapy and surgery were of prognostic value (p<0.05).

Conclusion: Liver resection should be considered a suitable additive tool in multimodal therapy of resectable metastatic melanoma.

Keywords: Melanoma; case-control study; hepatic metastasis; liver resection; multimodal therapy; survival.