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Hepatic and Extrahepatic Colorectal Metastases: When Resectable, Their Localization Does Not Matter, But Their Total Number Has a Prognostic Effect

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Abstract

Background

The presence of extrahepatic disease (EHD) is considered a contraindication to hepatectomy in patients with colorectal liver metastases. After resection, the prognosis is based more on the total number of resected metastases (located inside and outside the liver) than on the site of these metastases (only inside the liver or not).

Methods

A total of 308 patients with colorectal cancer underwent hepatectomy, and 84 (27%) also underwent resection of miscellaneous EHD. The study was a prospective data registration and retrospective analysis. When considering the total number of resected metastases, each liver metastasis and each EHD location was counted as one lesion. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed.

Results

The median follow-up was 99 months. The overall 5-year survival rate was 32%. In the multivariate analysis, the total number of metastases (inside or outside the liver) had a greater prognostic value than the criterion “presence or absence of EHD.” Considering the total number of resected metastases (whatever their site), 5-year survival rates were 38% (SD: 4%) in the group with one to three metastases, 29% (SD: 5%) in patients with four to six metastases, and 18% (SD: 5%) in patients with more than six metastases (P = .002). A very simple prognostic score based on sex and the total number of metastases is proposed.

Conclusions

EHD, when resectable, is no longer a contraindication to hepatectomy. More importantly, the total number of the metastases, whatever their location, has a stronger prognostic effect than the site of these metastases.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgical Oncology, Institut Gustave Roussy, Comprehensive Cancer Center, 39 Rue Camille Desmoulins, Villejuif Cédex, 94805, France

    Dominique Elias MD, PhD, Gabriel Liberale MD, Marc Pocard MD, PhD & Philippe Lasser MD

  2. Department of Medical Statistics, Institut Gustave Roussy, Comprehensive Cancer Center, 39 Rue Camille Desmoulins, Villejuif Cédex, 94805, France

    Déwi Vernerey MSc & Jean-Pierre Pignon MD, PhD

  3. Department of Medical Oncology, Institut Gustave Roussy, Comprehensive Cancer Center, 39 Rue Camille Desmoulins, Villejuif Cédex, 94805, France

    Michel Ducreux MD, PhD, Valérie Boige MD & David Malka MD, PhD

Authors
  1. Dominique Elias MD, PhD
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  2. Gabriel Liberale MD
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  3. Déwi Vernerey MSc
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  4. Marc Pocard MD, PhD
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  8. Jean-Pierre Pignon MD, PhD
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  9. Philippe Lasser MD
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Correspondence to Dominique Elias MD, PhD.

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Elias, D., Liberale, G., Vernerey, D. et al. Hepatic and Extrahepatic Colorectal Metastases: When Resectable, Their Localization Does Not Matter, But Their Total Number Has a Prognostic Effect. Ann Surg Oncol 12, 900–909 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1245/ASO.2005.01.010

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1245/ASO.2005.01.010

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