Liver resection for metastatic colorectal cancer in the presence of extrahepatic disease

Early studies of liver resection for colorectal cancer metastases identified patients with concomitant extrahepatic disease as a group with poor outcomes. These studies concluded that the presence of extrahepatic disease should be a contraindication to resection. This contraindication has more recently been challenged. In this paper, we review the published work on metastatic colorectal cancer, pertaining to the role of surgery in patients with liver metastases and concomitant extrahepatic disease. 5-year survival after resection is worse in patients with extrahepatic disease than in patients with liver-only disease, but is similar to that seen in patients who underwent resection in the era before the use of modern chemotherapy. Recurrence occurs in most patients. There is a role for surgery in highly selected patients with single sites of extrahepatic disease, although expectations should be different than those of patients with liver-only metastases. Further studies are necessary to define the patient group best suited for resection of hepatic metastases with extrahepatic disease.