Angiography as diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic tool in liver metastases from a colo-rectal primary tumor.

Angiograms from 60 patients with liver metastases from colo-rectal carcinoma were reviewed in retrospect to find prognostic parameters. All patients were treated with intraarterial cytostatic drugs. Patients with a small tumor mass in the liver survived significantly longer than those with a huge tumor burden. A longer survival was seen also in patients who developed occlusion of the hepatic arterial tree. When the tumor showed reduction in size or was stationary at the follow-up angiographic examinations after institution of therapy survival was markedly improved. When compared with the findings at laparotomy, angiography adequately demonstrated tumor growth in the right lobe of the liver but repeatedly failed to do so in the left lobe. In 14 patients computed tomography was also performed. Tumor localization by CT corresponded well with the findings at laparotomy and was thus more accurate than the results by angiography. Information about tumor volume and number of tumor nodules was approximately the same with the two methods.