To explore the relationship of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and cirrhosis with liver metastasis in colorectal cancer. Clinical date of 1176 colorectal cancer patients undergone surgical treatment in the Peking University School of Oncology between January 1999 and August 2004 were analyzed retrospectively to investigate the impact of HBV infection and cirrhosis on the occurrence of liver metastasis and prognosis of patients. The incidence of liver metastasis was 8.8% (10/114) in the HBV infection group and 23.9% (254/1062) in the non-infection group (P<0.01). The 5-year survival rates of these two groups were 54.2% and 60.7% ( P>0.05). The incidence of liver metastasis was 3.8% (1/26) in the cirrhotic group and 22.9% (263/1150) in the non-cirrhotic group (P<0.05). The 5-year survival rates of these two groups were 60.9% and 59.9% ( P>0.05). Both hepatitis B virus infection and cirrhosis are associated with less liver metastasis in colorectal cancer, but have no impact on the survival.