Survival after resection of liver and lung colorectal metastases in the era of modern multidisciplinary therapy

Despite recent improvement of the outcomes of colorectal cancer (CRC), the benefits of resection and appropriate selection criteria in patients with both liver and lung metastases remain controversial. The aim of this study was to analyze the outcomes and prognostic factors for survival in patients who underwent both hepatic and pulmonary resection for CRC metastases in the era of modern multidisciplinary therapy. A retrospective analysis of 43 consecutive patients who underwent both liver and lung resections for metastatic CRC at our institute from 2003 to 2011 was performed. All patients in this study had achieved cancer-free status after resection of the second metastatic site. Of the patients, 24 (56 %) had synchronous metastatic disease with their primary tumor. Twenty-seven patients had developed recurrence after resection of the second metastatic site. In 14 cases, re-metastasectomy was performed for recurrence. Fourteen patients received palliative chemotherapy after recurrence, and all of these patients received oxaliplatin and/or irinotecan-based chemotherapy. After resection of the second metastatic organ, the 5-year relapse-free and overall survival rates were 29.6 and 70.0 %, respectively. Patients with multiple lung metastases had worse relapse-free survival than patients with solitary lung metastases at first lung resection (p = 0.046). Aggressive surgical resection and a combination of modern chemotherapeutic agents improve the survival of patients with lung and liver metastases from CRC. The presence of multiple lung metastases at resection suggests a poor prognosis.