Correlation of histology of the primary tumor with liver metastases in colorectal carcinoma

The histology of colorectal tumors was correlated with the presence of live r metastases in a retrospective study performed on 179 patients who were au topsied between 1975 and 1990. For the analysis of metastatic patterns, 116 cases with at least one distant metastatic site were selected. A distinct relationship between mucin expression of colorectal tumors and liver involv ement was found, Pure adenocarcinomas and their papillary variants showed t he highest affinity to the hepatic tissue regarding the frequency as well a s extent of involvement. A subtotal replacement of the liver by metastases was restricted to these two variants. An extracellular mucin component was associated with a lower frequency of liver involvement and a tendency to so litary or oligotopic metastases. Ten cases of signet ring cell carcinomas h ad no metastases in the liver. The results described here for colorectal ca ncers are similar to those previously reported for gastric cancer, The ther apeutic implications were discussed. A detailed link between these clinical findings and the results found at the level of molecular biology is yet to be determined.