Survival data on timing of resection of liver metastases in colorectal cancer patients

Between 2007 and 2016, 140 consecutive patients who underwent resection of colorectal cancer with simultaneous liver metastases at a single university hospital were retrospectively analysed. In order to gather information regarding potential survival differences for n = 68 simultaneous versus n = 72 staged resections of the colorectal primary tumor and the liver metastases, Clinical, histopathological, serological, and survival data were compared for those two patient groups. The rate of simultaneous tumor resections increased from approximately 25% in 2007 to >75% in 2016. There was no difference in tumor specific survival for patients with simultaneous vs. staged resection (p = 0.631). This effect continued after excluding patients with extrahepatic metastases (p = 0.440). Further, neoadjuvant treatment did not lead to differences in the tumor-specific survival (p = 0.123). Factors associated with an increased tumor-specific survival were low ASA score (p < 0.001), low number of tumor-affected lymph nodes (p < 0.001), histological grading G1/2 (p = 0.001), and a low number of liver metastases (p = 0.044). There was no significant survival difference for the primary tumor stage (pT), the Clavien-Dindo complication rate, the resection status (R0), and minor versus major hepatectomies.