Hepatic Resection for Metastases From Colorectal Carcinoma Is of Dubious Value

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
In the United States, during the past 5 to 10 years, there has been an increasingly aggressive surgical approach to resection of hepatic metastases from colorectal cancer. Operations for this purpose are currently the most common hepatic operation performed in this country, and the procedure is likely to become even more prevalent. It has been estimated that only about 1000 of the 6000 to 12 000 patients who might be potential candidates yearly actually have a resection.1 While several series have reported 5-year survival rates of about 25% for those who undergo resection of hepatic metastases, comparison of this kind of outcome has been made only with retrospective series, a nonvalid control. Thus, it is not known whether surgical excision of these metastatic lesions is appropriate. A presentation and critical analysis of available data are made in this article in an attempt to provide some kind of rational approach to