[Good results with liver resection for colorectal liver metastases]

Evaluation of the results of partial liver resections in patients with colorectal carcinoma with liver metastases.

Retrospective descriptive study.

Groningen University Hospital, the Netherlands.

Between January 1987 and December 1994, 62 patients were referred for liver resection for metastases of colorectal carcinoma (Dukes C 57%, Dukes B 40%, Dukes A 3%). Twenty-five of these patients were women and 37 men, ranging in age from 28 to 77 years (median 57 years).

Liver resection was not performed in 29 patients because of unresectability of the liver lesions (n = 18), lymph node metastases found during laparotomy (4), multiple lung metastases (3) and other reasons (4). Thirty-three patients underwent potentially curative resection without mortality and with complications in 25%. Five-year survival and five-year disease-free survival were 51% and 22% respectively. Patients with a solitary metastasis showed a trend towards a longer survival than patients with two or more liver metastases because of a significantly higher rate of recurrent disease in the latter group of patients (p < 0.05). Nineteen patients (58%) developed recurrent disease between 3 to 44 months (median 15 months): relapse of the primary tumor (n = 7; 37%), recurrent liver metastases (6; 32%) lung metastases (5; 26%), and bone metastasis (I).

Partial liver resections for metastatic disease of colorectal carcinoma can be performed without mortality and with acceptable morbidity. In case of solitary metastasis, liver resection is the therapy of choice as this is the only chance of long-term disease-free survival.