Outcome of surgical therapy for liver metastasis of colorectal cancer: analysis of 75 cases

Abstract

To explore the strategy to improve the long term survival of liver metastasis of colorectal cancer after surgical treatment. The clinical data of 75 patients with liver metastasis of colorectal cancer, 43 males and 32 females, aged 51.4, who received hepatectomy between January 1981 and November 2005, were analyzed. The primary tumor site was colon in 39 cases, and rectum in 36 cases. Liver metastasis was synchronous in 59 patients, and metachronous in 16 patients. 45 patients received simultaneous liver and colorectal resection, 29 patients received metachronous resection, and 1 patient did not receive primary rectal cancer resection. The operative complication rate and the mortality were 16% (12/75) and 1.33% (1/75) respectively. The overall 1- 3-, and 5-year survival rates were 86.7%, 35.5%, and 22.2% respectively, and the median survival time was 25 months. There were residual tumors in 35 patients. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates of the residual tumor group were 80.6%, 5.4%, and 5.4% respectively, all significantly lower than those of the radical resection group (91.6%, 58.1%, and 34.9% respectively, and the median survival time of the residual tumor group was 18 months, significantly shorter than that of the radical resection group (38 months) (all P = 0.000). Surgical resection of liver metastasis of colorectal cancer significantly prolongs the survival time, and resection of all liver deposits and the extrahepatic disease is the most important factor influencing survival.