[Is liver transplantation as surgical therapy concept in metastases of neuroendocrine tumors justified?].

Between 1982 and February 1996 11 patients underwent liver transplantation for irresectable neuroendocrine hepatic metastases. The operative mortality was one of 11, while two patients died due to sepsis respectively tumor recurrence 7 and 68 months after transplantation. Eight patients are alive with a median survival of 55 months (range from 10 days to 8.5 years). In three patients there is no evidence of tumor and the longest disease-free survival is 102 months after LTx. These results suggest that liver transplantation represents a justified treatment for irresectable hepatic metastases arising from neuroendocrine tumors.