Original Articles
Copyright ©2009 The WJG Press and Baishideng. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Jun 7, 2009; 15(21): 2587-2594
Published online Jun 7, 2009. doi: 10.3748/wjg.15.2587
Prognostic factors and time-related changes influence results of colorectal liver metastases surgical treatment: A single-center analysis
Josep Martí, María Marta Modolo, Josep Fuster, Jaume Comas, Rebeca Cosa, Joana Ferrer, Victor Molina, Juan Romero, Constantino Fondevila, Ramón Charco, Juan Carlos García-Valdecasas
Josep Martí, María Marta Modolo, Josep Fuster, Jaume Comas, Rebeca Cosa, Joana Ferrer, Victor Molina, Juan Romero, Constantino Fondevila, Ramón Charco, Juan Carlos García-Valdecasas, Liver Surgery and Transplantation Unit, IMDiM, IDIBAPS, Hospital Clinic, CIBERehd, University of Barcelona, Barcelona 08036, Spain
Author contributions: Martí J, Modolo MM, Fuster J and Ferrer J designed research; Martí J, Modolo MM, Comas J, Cosa R, Molina V and Romero J performed research; Martí J, Modolo MM and Fuster J analyzed data; Martí J, Modolo MM and Fuster J wrote the paper; Ferrer J, Fondevila C, Charco R and García-Valdecasas JC critically reviewed the paper.
Correspondence to: Josep Fuster, MD, PhD, Liver Surgery and Transplantation Unit, IMDiM, IDIBAPS, Hospital Clinic, CIBERehd, University of Barcelona, Villarroel, 170, Barcelona 08036, Spain. jfuster@clinic.ub.es
Telephone: +34-93-2275400
Fax: +34-93-2279807
Received: February 9, 2009
Revised: April 30, 2009
Accepted: May 7, 2009
Published online: June 7, 2009
Abstract

AIM: To analyze the prognostic factors involved in survival and cancer recurrence in patients undergoing surgical treatment for colorectal liver metastases (CLM) and to describe the effects of time-related changes on survival and recurrence in these patients.

METHODS: From January 1994 to January 2006, 236 patients with CLM underwent surgery with the aim of performing curative resection of neoplastic disease at our institution and 189 (80%) of these patients underwent resection of CLM with curative intention. Preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative data, including primary tumor and CLM pathology results, were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were divided into two time periods: a first period from January 1994 to January 2000 (n = 93), and a second period from February 2000 to January 2006 (n = 143).

RESULTS: Global survival at 1, 3 and 5 years in patients undergoing hepatic resection was 91%, 54% and 47%, respectively. Patients with preoperative extrahepatic disease, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels over 20 ng/dL, more than four nodules or extrahepatic invasion at pathological analysis had worse survival. Tumor recurrence rate at 1 year was 48.3%, being more frequent in patients with preoperative and pathological extrahepatic disease and CEA levels over 20 ng/dL. Although patients in the second time period had more adverse prognostic factors, no differences in overall survival and recurrence were observed between the two periods.

CONCLUSION: Despite advances in surgical technique and better adjuvant treatments and preoperative imaging, careful patient staging and selection is crucial to continue offering a chance of cure to patients with CLM.

Keywords: Liver metastases; Colorectal cancer; Hepatic resection; Survival; Prognostic factors