title: Adequate preoperative staging rarely leads to a change of intraoperative strategy in patients undergoing surgery for colorectal cancer liver metastases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Diagnostic tools used prior to hepatic surgery have significantly advanced during the last decade. We investigated the value of preoperative staging on detection of additional resectable hepatic lesions in metastatic colorectal cancer patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred ninety-four consecutive resections for colorectal liver metastases between January 2002 and December 2005 were prospectively analyzed. Data on imaging (multidetector computed tomography [MDCT] and magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]) were compared to intraoperative findings by intraoperative sonography and bimanual palpation together with histopathological examination. Univariate and multivariate analysis of factors influencing recurrence was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 16 (8.2%) resections, additional lesions were detected intraoperatively. In 11 cases (5.7%), these were small (<1 cm) and subcapsular. Detection of additional tumors was associated with shorter median recurrence free survival (5.4 vs. 13.4 months; P < .001) even though all lesions were resected and risk of recurrence was stratified by the Fong score. Patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy did not generally have an increased risk of additional tumors; however, intraoperative detection of new lesions was associated with inferior outcome in this subgroup (median RFS 4.6 vs. 18.3 months in responders, P < .001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Preoperative imaging with contrast-enhanced MDCT and MRI is efficient and very seldom leads to changes in intraoperative strategy. Patients exhibiting additional resectable hepatic lesions upon surgery have a high risk for early recurrence and should be monitored closely during follow-up.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Dietmar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tamandl
authors.forename: Beata
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Herberger
authors.forename: Birgit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gruenberger
authors.forename: Sebastian F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Schoppmann
authors.forename: Harald
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Puhalla
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schindl
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Schima
authors.forename: Raimund
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jakesz
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gruenberger
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary / Q000628:therapy; D000368:Aged; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007813:Laparotomy; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000592:standards*; D011446:Prospective Studies