[Repeated liver resections for metastases from colorectal carcinoma: the experience of 23 cases]

One hundred and thirteen patients with metastases from colorectal carcinoma underwent liver resection. The authors report their experience with respect to 23 repeated hepatic resections (or metastases from colorectal carcinoma). The calculated actuarial survival from the first operations is 100% at 12 months, 67% at 24 months, 48% at 36 months and 26% at 60 months. In 90 patients who underwent a single liver resection during the same period, 76% were alive at 12 months, 40% at 24 months, 27% at 36 months and 14% at 60 months (p = 0.03). Survivals calculated from the second operation were 67% at 12 months, 41% at 24 months and 11% at 35 months. There was no operative mortality with morbidity added to that of the first operation. None patients had extrahepatic disease at the second operation: this was resected. Seven patients were treated with neo adjuvant chemotherapy; six with systemic adjuvant chemotherapy; in one this was associated with loco-regional chemotherapy. The number of lesions (single versus multiple), the presence or absence of extrahepatic disease, neo-adjuvant chemotherapy and adjuvant chemotherapy did not seem to influence the prognosis. Average survival calculated from the appearance of the first metastasis in the liver is better in patients with a synchronous lesion compared to the patients with a metachronous lesion (48.1 months versus 29.3). The authors claim that surgery is indicated, when technically possible, in the hepatic recurrence of disease. The results are not as good as those obtained following the first liver resection, with a probability of earlier recurrence of disease.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)