A case of postoperative liver metastasis of esophageal cancer remains in progression free after successfully resected

A 59-year-old man admitted for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy of the health examination in the middle of October 2005 was diagnosed with advanced lower esophageal cancer. After a precise examination, he received a subtotal esophagectomy followed by three-field lymphadenectomy in the beginning of November 2005. The histopathological diagnosis was well differentiated squamous cell carcinoma (pT3, ie (+), ly2, v2, pIM0, pN3, pStage III). After two courses of systemic chemotherapy so called FP therapy, solitary liver metastasis in S8 area was detected in May 2007. He received additional two courses of FP chemotherapy, but the CT scan revealed that the lesion was progress disease (PD) in December 2007. It seemed to be difficult to reduce the tumor progression by systemic chemotherapy, so S8 semi-segmental lobectomy was performed. After the operation, the patient received the combination chemotherapy with docetaxel and nedaplatin once a week on day 1 for 4 weeks in five courses, but the CT scan revealed the appearance of the recurrence of residual liver and abdominal lymphnodes in January 2009. So a right hepatic lobectomy and lymphadenectomy were performed. The patient also received chemoradiotherapy after the operation, no recurrence of the liver and lymphnodes metastases has been shown. Surgical resection was sometimes seemed to be effective for treating liver metastasis of esophageal cancer, thus indication of operation need to be discussed for accumulation of many liver metastasis of esophageal cancer.