Resection of the liver for metastatic cancer.

In a 16 month period, 20 resections of the liver were performed by this author at a community hospital, ten of which were for metastatic cancer. At the end of two years, nine of the ten patients in whom the metastatic liver disease was resected were alive. The longest survival time presently is 43 months following resection of the liver, and this patient is clinically free of disease. Extensive resections of the liver for metastatic carcinoma of the liver have previously been done primarily at major cancer centers. Recent improvement in technology and support services available at community cancer centers is rapidly making such resections a safe and preferred method of managing isolated metastases to the liver.