What factors influence survival in patients with unresected synchronous liver metastases after resection of colorectal cancer?

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine whether the survival of patients with untreated synchronous liver metastases after resection of a colorectal cancer was associated with any features of the primary tumour. Methods: Information for 398 consecutive patients with unresected liver metastases in the period 1971-2001 was examined by multivariate survival analysis. Results: Of 19 clinical and pathological variables considered, survival was independently associated only with residual tumour in a line of resection (hazard ratio (HR) 1.95), venous invasion (HR 1.87), right colonic tumour (HR 1.68), lymph node metastasis (HR 1.54), and extrahepatic metastasis (HR 1.16); 8.3% of patients had none of these adverse features. Their 2-year overall survival rate was 39.2%, compared with only 16.5% (P < 0.001) in those with one or more adverse features. Conclusions: These findings may assist in selecting patients most likely to benefit from treatment of hepatic metastases and in counselling patients and their relatives.