Patient survival with liver metastases from colorectal cancer--a district hospital experience.

In a retrospective review of 301 newly diagnosed tumours of the colon and rectum, 61 patients (20%) presented with liver metastases. The mean survival for this group was 7.4 months. Five patients with solitary metastases were found who may have been helped by further surgery. There was a 20% operative mortality. No significant association between the grade, differentiation, lymph node status or venous invasion of the primary lesion was demonstrated. Operative palliative resection of the primary lesion did not improve survival. These results confirm the poor prognosis for patients with liver metastases, justifying all efforts into the earlier detection and prevention of colorectal carcinoma.