Surgery as an alternative to chemotherapy for hepatic metastases from colorectal cancer.

The mean survival for patients with untreated hepatic metastases from primary colorectal carcinoma has been reported to range from 4 to 9 months. The authors describe seven patients with liver metastases following curative resection. They had partial hepatectomy as treatment for metastatic disease confined to the liver. Survival from the time of partial hepatectomy to April 1983 for the five patients who died with progressive disease was 20, 32, 39, 40 and 44 months and was 45 and 61 months for the two patients still alive and disease-free. All seven patients treated surgically survived longer than they would have if they had received treatment for symptoms, with or without chemotherapy for hepatic metastases. The increased duration of survival suggests that partial hepatectomy, in appropriately selected patients, is a worthwhile alternative to chemotherapy.