Outcome of Colorectal Liver Metastases
Boonchoo Sirichindakul MD*, Supparerk Prichayudh MD*
Affiliation : * Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University
Objective : To determine the median survival of colorectal liver metastatic (CRLM) patients treated at King Chulalongkorn
Memorial Hospital over the past 10 years and to determine the outcome of the various treatment modalities (surgery ,
chemotherapy and supportive treatment )
Materials and Methods : Between January , 1992 and December, 2001, 86 consecutive patients were recorded. Of whom
26 (30.23%) received liver resection , 39 (45.34%) received chemotherapy and 21(24.41%) received supportive treatment.
All the patients were followed up to December 31 , 2001 or death. Survival was calculated by Kaplan-Meier method and
studied for statistical differences between various treatment groups with Cox regression model. The 95% confidence
intervals for median assessment were determined.
Results : Overall survival of CRLM patients was 18 months. Significant differences in survival were seen among the three
groups of patients. Median survival was 33 months in the liver resection group, 17 months in the chemotherapy group and
5 months in the supportive treatment group. Three-year survival in the liver resection group was 23% while it was 7.6%
in the chemotherapy group. Type of treatment, primary tumor staging and extrahepatic metastasis were the three independent
determinant factors of survival.
Conclusion : Survival of patients with colorectal liver metastases depends on the type of treatment. Liver resection is the
best treatment which offers long term survival to the patients in selected cases.
Keywords : Colorectal cancer, Metastases, Liver cancer, Hepatectomy
