Colorectal Cancer
Copyright ©2006 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Oct 21, 2006; 12(39): 6305-6309
Published online Oct 21, 2006. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v12.i39.6305
Proposal of criteria to select candidates with colorectal liver metastases for hepatic resection: Comparison of our scoring system to the positive number of risk factors
Ikuo Nagashima, Tadahiro Takada, Miki Adachi, Hirokazu Nagawa, Tetsuichiro Muto, Kota Okinaga
Ikuo Nagashima, Tadahiro Takada, Miki Adachi, Kota Okinaga, Department of Surgery, Teikyo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
Hirokazu Nagawa, Tetsuichiro Muto, Department of Surgical Oncology, University of Tokyo Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
Correspondence to: Ikuo Nagashima MD, Department of Surgery, Teikyo University School of Medicine, 2-11-1, Kaga, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo 173-8605, Japan. inaga@med.teikyo-u ac.jp
Telephone: +81-3-39641231 Fax: +81-3-53756097
Received: February 27, 2006
Revised: March 28, 2006
Accepted: May 22, 2006
Published online: October 21, 2006
Abstract

AIM: To select accurately good candidates of hepatic resection for colorectal liver metastasis.

METHODS: Thirteen clinicopathological features, which were recognized only before or during surgery, were selected retrospectively in 81 consecutive patients in one hospital (GroupI). These features were entered into a multivariate analysis to determine independent and significant variables affecting long-term prognosis after hepatectomy. Using selected variables, we created a scoring formula to classify patients with colorectal liver metastases to select good candidates for hepatic resection. The usefulness of the new scoring system was examined in a series of 92 patients from another hospital (Group II), comparing the number of selected variables.

RESULTS: Among 81 patients of GroupI, multivariate analysis, i.e. Cox regression analysis, showed that multiple tumors, the largest tumor greater than 5 cm in diameter, and resectable extrahepatic metastases were significant and independent prognostic factors for poor survival after hepatectomy (P < 0.05). In addition, these three factors: serosa invasion, local lymph node metastases of primary cancers, and post-operative disease free interval less than 1 year including synchronous hepatic metastasis, were not significant, however, they were selected by a stepwise method of Cox regression analysis (0.05 < P < 0.20). Using these six variables, we created a new scoring formula to classify patients with colorectal liver metastases. Finally, our new scoring system not only classified patients in GroupIvery well, but also that in Group II, according to long-term outcomes after hepatic resection. The positive number of these six variables also classified them well.

CONCLUSION: Both, our new scoring system and the positive number of significant prognostic factors are useful to classify patients with colorectal liver metastases in the preoperative selection of good candidates for hepatic resection.

Keywords: Colorectal cancer, Liver metastasis, Hepatic resection, Prognostic factor