BackgroundAbout 70% of patients with colorectal cancer develop liver metastases (LM). Although colorectal cancer patients with resectable LM have a good prognosis, there is little data at the difference in the locations of LM. We investigated how the location of LM affects prognosis of colorectal cancer patients. MethodsThe medical records of 196 colorectal cancer patients with liver metastasis from January 2008 to December 2018 were analyzed retrospectively. We defined liver metastasis within a 3-cm-radius sphere centered on the bifurcation of portal vein by computed tomography as central LM (group C), and other LM outside the 3-cm-radius sphere as peripheral LM (group P). We investigated the relation between location of LM and prognosis by using the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test, and the relation between location of LM and resection by using the chi-square test. ResultsPatient characteristics were as follows: median age 68.4 (range 30-87), female/male 115/81, colon/rectal cancer 117/79, advanced/recurrent 150/46, respectively. The characteristics of liver metastasis were as follows: mean maximum tumor size 38 mm (3 - 200), tumor number single/multi 58/138, group C/P 84/112, respectively. Median overall survival (OS) was 31 months [95% confidence interval (CI), 25.5 to 36.5 months] from the date of first diagnosis of LM. We divided 196 patients into two groups ofgroup C (n = 84) and group P (n = 112) by location of LM. Resection rate of LM was 11.9% (group C) and 50.9% (group P). Median OS in group C and group P was 18 months (95% CI, 12.3 to 23.7 months) and 38 months (95% CI, 35.2 to 40.8 months), respectively (p < 0.001). Resection of LM was performed significantly more often in group P than in group C (p < 0.001). Furthermore, the patients with resectable LM had a good prognosis not only in group P (mean OS 135 months, 95% CI, 109.4 to 160.7 months) but also in group C (mean OS 82 months, 95% CI, 67.5 to 96.0 months). ConclusionsIt is suggested that the colorectal cancer patients with peripheral LM might have a better prognosis than the patients with central LM. Legal entity responsible for the studyThe authors. FundingHas not received any funding. DisclosureAll authors have declared no conflicts of interest.