Resection of colorectal liver metastases: analysis of risk factors

OBJECTIVE: to analyze the survival after surgery to resect liver metastases from colorectal cancer, and to investigate the influence of 15 potentially prognostic factors on survival. METHODS: this retrospective study included all patients diagnosed as having colorectal cancer who were operated on with curative intent (without no ev idence of tumor after surgery) during the 10-year period from 1988 to 1998. Survival analysis was done using the Kaplan-Meier method, and the prognost ic value of each factor was determined with the log-rank test. Of the 60 su rgical patients we studied, 58 survived the postoperative period (<30 days) . We analyzed their epidemiological, histological and chronopathological ch aracteristics, tumor markers, and type of resection. RESULTS: mean survival was 33.06 +/- 3.2 months, and ranged from 2 to 108 m onths. Survival at 1, 3 and 5 years was 90.1%, 48.9% and 28.9% respectively . None of the 15 prognostic factors studied was significantly related with survival (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: surgical treatment of liver metastases from colorectal cancer is a safe option and offers good survival rates. The potentially prognostic factors studied here do not allow us to identify those patients who might benefit most from this procedure.