Background/aims: The authors evaluated the significance of various factors regarding the recurrence of colorectal liver metastases (CLM) after liver resection or radiofrequency ablation.
Methodology: 82 patients were operated on for CLM at our department between 1998 and 2003. Radical surgery was performed in 58 patients (74.4%), an palliative surgery in 20 (25.6%). Recurrence of the disease was recorded in 53 patients (71.6%), 21 (28.4%) were without any sign of recurrence. The factors examined in the multifactorial analysis were: age and sex, localization of the primary carcinoma, Dukes classification, grading, histology, microscopically free resection line, chemotherapy and radiotherapy after colorectal or liver surgery, different types of liver resection, radical versus palliative liver surgery, complication after liver surgery, laterality of metastatic process, number of metastases, blood transfusion, staging, repeated liver surgery. Long-rank and Wilcoxon test were used for the statistical evaluation.
Results: The factors statistically significant for disease-free interval after liver surgery were: unilaterality of metastatic process, microscopically free resection line, radical versus palliative surgical treatment. The survival rates after liver surgery and after the primary operation were dependent on grading, age, radical versus palliative resection, Dukes classification and staging.
Conclusions: These factors could play an important role as predictors of colorectal cancer recurrence in patients' follow-up period after liver surgery for CLM.