It should be noted that 80 percent of colon cancer patients die of liver failure. And, if there are metastases in only a portion of the liver, removal of the metastases by removing part of the liver can cure 20 to 40 percent of such patients. The prognosis is better if there are fewer lesions—one lesion is better than three and there is no survival benefit unless all lesions are removed. Non-curative surgery has the same prognosis as no surgery at all. In selected cases, both the colon cancer and the liver metastases (if there are three or fewer) can be removed at the same surgery.
Liver metastases may be reduced if chemotherapy , with 5-FUDR (floxuridine) delivered by infusion pump through the main hepatic artery, is given after surgery ( see What Happens In Surgery ).
