Hepatic resection for isolated metastasis from colorectal carcinoma.

Surgical results were analyzed in 36 patients who had undergone hepatic resection for metastases from colorectal carcinoma. Survival was not altered by the type of surgical resection nor in the presence of solitary compared with multiple lesions. No difference in survival from the time of liver resection was noted in patients staged as Dukes' B and Dukes' C (metachronous liver metastasis) in comparison to patients who presented with synchronous liver metastases. Overall median survival was 22 months with no 5 year survivors to date. There is a tendency for recurrence to occur in extrahepatic sites, which emphasizes the need for an effective chemotherapeutic agent.