Rate of growth of intraabdominal metastases from colorectal cancer.

Monitoring the progression or regression of intraabdominal metastatic disease is required for knowledgeable management of chemotherapeutic regimens designed to treat metastases. Computerized tomography (CT) and CT with EOE-13, a liver contrast agent, allowed precise measurement of metastatic disease. The tumor doubling time of colorectal metastases in four patients was determined from serial CT scans of individual patients. Tumor doubling times of untreated patients varied from 50 to 95 days, and were in the same range for hepatic, lymph node, or intraperitoneal metastatic disease. These data may indicate that metastatic disease of colorectal cancer progresses at a faster rate in the peritoneal cavity than is reported for colorectal cancer metastatic to the lungs. The response to chemotherapy or progression of disease was also determined in treated patients. High resolution CT scanning with EOE-13 allowed calculation of tumor doubling times, and therefore more precise management of cancer patients with metastases.