Factors influencing incidence and extension of metachronous liver metastases of colorectal adenocarcinoma. A multivariate analysis.
OBJECTIVE
Three hundred and eighty-seven patients surgically treated for colorectal adenocarcinoma were assessed by a multivariate analysis and the factors influencing incidence and extension of metachronous liver metastases studied.


METHODS
A series of 387 patients which had been surgically treated for colorectal adenocarcinoma between January 1980 to December 1990 and followed-up over a minimum of a 5-year period was retrospectively studied.


RESULTS
The most reliable prognostic markers are represented by tumor site (p < 0.05) and, more specifically, by wall infiltration (p < 0.01) and metastatic lymph-nodes (p < 0.05). The only independent variable with a significant impact on stage of metachronous liver metastases was proved to be the depth of wall infiltration (p < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
This study confirms the reliability of some indicators of primary tumor in influencing incidence, but not extension, of metachronous liver metastases and this is the main problem when it comes to using prognostic factors in order to modulate the intervals of postoperative follow-up according to risk category.
Secco
G B
GB
Istituto di Patologia Speciale Chirurgica, Università di Genova, Italy.
Fardelli
R
R
Gianquinto
D
D
Bonfante
P
P
Baldi
E
E
Campora
E
E
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D016609:Neoplasms, Second Primary / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors