Survival prognostic factors in patients with resection of liver metastasis from colorectal cancer.

Background and aim. Case selection criteria for resection of liver metastasis after colorectal cancer are still incompletely elucidated and represent a subject of great interest recently. Our aim was to evaluate 2-year survival after resection and to identify the survival risk and prediction factors in those cases. Methods. 63 patients diagnosed and undergoing liver resection for colorectal metastatic disease to the liver at the Surgical University Hospital No.3 (Cluj-Napoca, Romania) between 01.01.2002 and 31.12.2005 were included in the study. Exclusion criteria were: palliative treatment as well as surgical treatment performed in a different surgical centre. After the surgical treatment, patients were followed regularly using clinical assessment on a 3 monthly basis with abdominopelvic ultrasound or computerised tomography annually. The following variables were recorded: age, gender, coexisting medical diseases, blood tests results, tumour site, maximal tumour diameter after resection, duration of surgery, surgical procedure and the clinical outcome until last follow-up, including date of death where appropriate. Results. 2-year post-operative survival was 65.1%. In univariate analysis: age ( =65 years, p=0.041), metastasis number ( =3 tumors, p=0.049), maximal tumor dimension ( =3 cm, p=0.047), glutamine-oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) preoperative level ( =42 mg/dl, p=0.018) were significant factors correlated to median survival time. However, non of the above mentioned factors presented independent prediction power in multivariate analysis (Cox regression, p<0.05). Conclusions. Our results support liver metastasis resection without prior case selection except for technically-operative criteria selection.