Colorectal cancer in Auckland 1981-1982: patients with liver metastases

In a population-based study of 402 cases of colorectal cancer in Auckland, 72 patients (18%) demonstrated liver metastases either at presentation or at initial surgery. The findings of pre-operative weight loss, hepatomegaly and elevated alkaline phosphatase were significantly associated with heptic metastases. Individually these factors were insensitive indicators of the presence of liver metastases. Two or more of these risk factors were demonstrated by 54% of the patients with liver secondaries compared to 19% in the series without liver metastases. Continuing surveillance of the latter group of patients will show whether they are also at risk of developing liver secondaries. The median survival for the 69 patients who were diagnosed before death was 6.0 months. When the primary lesion was resected and the patient survived the post-operative period the median survival was 11.0 months.