Rare hepatic metastases of colorectal cancer in livers with symptomatic HBV and HCV hepatits.

Aim: The liver is the most common site of metastases in colorectal cancer but metastases seem tobe less common in patients with a chronically liver damage. The aim of our study was to assessthe development of metachronous liver metastases in patients affected by HBV or HCV relatedliver diseases. Material of study: We retrospectively evaluated above all the development of livermetastases and the 5-year disease free in 457 patients radically treated for colorectal cancer withhealthy liver and in 31 patients radically treated for colorectal cancer affected by liver damage(HBV or HCV related). Results: Overall incidence of liver metastases was 9% (44/488), inparticular 3.2% in infected patients and 9.4% in non-infected patients (p= 0.34). Our resultsrevealed that there is no statistically significant difference between the number of positive lymphnodes of primary colorectal cancer and the number of indifferentiated cancers in infectedcompared with non-infected patients (29% vs 34.1% and 9.7% vs 13.6% respectively), and the 5-year disease free is better for infected patients (93% and 80%, p = 0.17). Discussion: In infectedpatients we registered a better crude 5-year disease free interval and a fewer incidence ofmetachronous liver metastases. This difference is in agreement with other results mentioned inliterature. Conclusion: In the light of the reported data, the authors consider that the recentpathogenetic theory of the "metalloproteinase inhibitor" should be taken in account.