Diagnostic evaluation and survival analysis of colorectal cancer patients with liver metastases.

Clinical features and their prognostic value were evaluated in 83 colorectal cancer patients with liver metastasis. The clinical features analysed included presenting symptoms and signs, liver function tests, extent of liver involvement, associated extrahepatic tumor growth, and physical condition of the patients. Overall median survival time after diagnosis of liver metastases was 8.4 months. Prognostic factors related to survival were symptoms, when referable to liver metastasis, and 5' Nt. Information is supplied to survey what selection of patients should be considered for various treatment options. A predominance of the patients showed bilobar liver involvement (79.6%), extrahepatic tumor growth (49.4%), or had an unresectable primary tumor (30.1%), thus leaving only 6% of the patients with liver metastases for surgical treatment with the intention of cure.