PRIMARY SARCOMA OF THE LIVER IN THE ADULT

Eleven adult patients with primary sarcoma of the liver underwent surg ery at the University Hospital of Hamburg-Eppendorf between 1985 and J anuary 1994. In 8 cases it was possible to resect the tumor with wide margins (R0), in 1 of these in the course of orthotopic liver transpla ntation. Three patients had primarily marginal resection (R1). By the end of the study period 7 of the patients who underwent initial R0 res ection are tumor-free, with a mean survival time of 57 (5-104) months. The patient with orthotopic liver transplantation developed metastase s 31 months after primary surgery. At 7 months after initial R1 resect ion. 1 patient is alive with no evidence of disease while 2 others die d after 30 and 35 months, respectively. Patients with non-metastasized primary sarcomas of the liver can expect long-term survival if the tu mor is resected with wide margins in an anatomical hepatectomy. In the case of multifocal growth in the liver transplantation can be conside red.