[SURGICAL TREATMENT OF THE LIVER METASTASES FROM COLORECTAL CANCER].

OBJECTIVE: In the absence of extra hepatic disease, the hepatic resection is the treatment of choice for liver metastases from colorectal carcinoma, but a no treatment attitude or the use of chemotherapy still persists in some health centers. This study was done to evaluate the peri operative morbi-mortality and survival after resection of hepatic metastases from colorectal cancer in our institution.METHODS: Clinical, pathologic and outcome data of patients undergoing liver resection for metastatic colorectal cancer at the Instituto de Enfermedades Neoplasicas de Lima Peru between January 1986 and July 2000 was examined.RESULTS: Of 300 liver resections, 24 were performed in patients with liver metastases of colorectal cancer; 17 patients were men and 7 women, who ranged in age from 21 to 79 years ( a mean of 52.66 years), the site of primary disease was the rectum in 7 and colon in 17, 20 patients were Dukes C and 4 Dukes B.Synchronous secondary disease were found in 9 patients and metachronous lesions were found in 15 patients Forty nine metastases were resected (Mean size 4.5 cm, range 1.5 cm 24 cm)Seven patients underwent right hepatectomy, one right hepatectomy plus non anatomic wedge resection, two right trisegmentectomy, 4 left lobectomy and ten a non anatomical resection.The overall post operative morbidity was 8% and the 30 day post operative mortality rate was 0% Estimated three and five year survival rates using Kaplan-Meier method was 50 % and 20% respectively.CONCLUSION: Hepatic resection for a secondary malignant liver growth from colorectal cancer is relatively safe with low morbidity and mortality rates, an remains the only potentially curative treatment. We continue to recommend an aggressive surgical approach to hepatic metastases of colorectal origin in the abscense of extra hepatic disease.