Liver Resection for Colorectal Metastases

Kenichi Sugihara

The Second Department of Surgery, Tokyo Medical and Dental University School of Medicine

In order to improve the prognosis of patients with colorectal cancer, it is important to improve the outcome of liver metastases from colorectal cancer which is complicat in 25% of colorectal cancer patients. Liver resection is the most effective treatment and is indicated either when there is no extrahepatic metastases, or wnen complete removal of all metastatic tumors are confirmed. The 5-year survival rate after liver resection is from 35% to 40%, but recurrent tumors in the liver remnant develope in 40%. The advantage of adjuvant intra-arterial chemotherapy to control recurrence in the liver remnant has not been confirmed. Repeated liver resection shows the same outcome as that of the initial liver resection.

Key words
liver metastases, liver resection colorectal cancer

Reprint requests
Kenichi Sugihara The Second Department of Surgery, Tokoy Medical and Dental University School of Medicine 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8519 JAPAN

Accepted
October 26, 1999

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