Outcome after liver resection for hepatic hemangiosarcoma

Question Primary hepatic angiosarcoma (PHA) is a malignant and very uncommon mesenchymal tumor that develops from endothelial cells and constitutes to about only 2 % of all primary liver tumors. Radical resection is presently considered the only potentially curative treatment alternative. The purpose of this study is to evaluate postoperative morbidity and overall survival (OS) of patients who underwent hepatic resection for PHA in our clinic.

Methods We retrospectively analyzed clinicopathological data of all consecutive patients who underwent liver resection in curative intent for PHA between 2012 and 2020 in our center.

Results During the study period six patients underwent liver resection for PHA in curative intent in our center: 83 % (5/6) of patients were female, and 17 % (1/6) were male, with a median age of 64.2 years (range 44 - 81). 1/6 patients had an ASA 3 and 5/6 an ASA 2 status, respectively. Two patients went through non-anatomical hepatic resection; two patients had a right hemihepatectomy; one patient underwent left lateral resection, and one a trisegmentectomy. The postoperative morbidity was high with 83 % (5/6): Three patients suffered from minor postoperative complications (Clavien-Dindo grades 1 and 2), one patient from major postoperative complications (Clavien-Dindo grade 4A) and one patient died after the procedure (Clavien-Dindo 5). Median overall survival was 25.15 months.

Conclusion Although resection prevails as the best treatment option for PHA, postoperative morbidity is frequent and the overall prognosis remains poor. Better diagnostic modalities and adjuvant treatment options are needed to improve the prognosis of patients suffering from PHA.

Publication History

Article published online:
04 January 2021