INTRAHEPATIC ADVANCE PATTERN OF THE SOLITARY LIVER METASTASIS FROM COLORECTAL CANCER

Intrahepatic advance pattern of solitary metastatic liver tumor from colorectal cancer was considered on the basis of the classification according to pre- and intra-operative information in a series of 33 resected cases at the hospital. Small nodule; less than 3cm in tumor diameter, large nodule; more than 3cm, and proliferat-ing nodule; macroscopic existence of marginal proliferating form were defined, and the tumors were classi-fied into the following three types. 1) Small nodular type (S): both 3- and 5-year survival rates were 38%. Remnant liver recurrence was so high in the synchronously metastasized patients, whereas good prognosis in the metachronously metastasized patients. 2) Large nodular type (L): 3- and 5-year survival rates were 66 %and 54% respectively, and no prognostic difference about the distinction of metastasized period was seen. Mean diameter of the tumors specimen was 4.2±1.7cm (mean±S.D.). 3) Proliferating large nodular type (PL): the prognosis was as extremely poor as 1- and 2-year survivals were 33% and 0% respectively. The diameter of the tumor was 9.2±3.5cm, thus PL was considered as the clinically advanced type of L. We believe, that the intrahepatic advance pattern of solitary metastatic liver tumor from colorectal cancer can be pre-dicted pre- and intraoperatively by our classification, and the prediction is properly useful to the therapeutic planning.