[Spontaneous course of metachronous metastases following curative intervention for colonic cancer: a total review].

The rate of metachronous metastases after curative surgery because of colonic carcinomas was 17% (n = 70). Women (20%) developed metastases more frequently than men (13%). Procedures in third to ninth decennium were followed in decreasing frequency (100 to 8.7%) by metachronous metastases. Primary tumors located in coecum showed by far the strongest tendency to recurrent metastatic disease (29%). Rate of metastases after curative surgery in tumorstage T 1-3 N0M0 was 9%, after stage T4 N0 M0 17% and after resection of tumors with lymph node involvement 32%. Liver metastases arose late when originating from primary in early tumorstage. Survival after diagnosis of liver metastases decreased with extension of primary tumor. These results give some aspects to formation of high-risk-groups to be followed-up according to a special program postoperatively.