Prognostic risk factors for recurrence after resection of colorectal liver metastases

Surgical resection is the only potentially curative treatment for colorectal liver metastases (CLM). Although long-term survival after resection of CLM, with a 5-year overall survival of more than 50 %, has been reported recently, high recurrence rate up to 80 % with a short interval after resection still remains the key problem of CLM treatment. Several clinicopa- thological prognostic risk factors after resection of CLM has been reported, such as short disease free interval, primary nodal status, number and size of CLM, preoperative serum carcinoembryonic antigen level, etc., and currently, RAS mutation status has been also con- sidered as the important prognostic factor. However, these factors do not preclude the surgical indication for CLM. Re-resection of the recurrence plays an important role for achieving the long-term survival.