title: A new staging system for colorectal carcinoma with liver metastasis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The prognosis of colorectal carcinoma (CRC) with liver metastasis varies from case to case. A standardized classification system for evaluation of the prognosis and the treatment is needed. Therefore, we developed a new staging system for CRC with liver metastasis (HM-stage) based on the survival data.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated 148 CRC patients with liver metastasis treated between 1985 and 1999. Prognostic factors were identified based on a multivariate analysis. According to the final prognostic factors and hazard ratios, we defined the HM- stage.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three factors, including extent of liver metastasis, depth of tumor invasion and peritoneal metastasis, were identified to be the final prognostic factors. These factors were then assigned points. The patients were classified as being HM-stage I to IV by the sum total. The median survival time for each HM-stage were 37 months for HM-stage I, 23 months for II, 10 months for III and 7 months for IV respectively. A significant difference among each stage was recognized (p<0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This new staging system for CRC with liver metastasis is simple and should be clinically useful for both estimation of the prognosis and evaluation of the therapy in patients.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Laboratory, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo, Japan. hikatocl@dnh.twmu.ac.jp
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Kazuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoshimatsu
authors.forename: Keiichiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ishibashi
authors.forename: Kiyo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Shunichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shiozawa
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tsuchiya
authors.forename: Rieko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Teruhiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.forename: Shunsuke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Haga
mesh_terms: D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods*; D011379:Prognosis