Indications for conversion hepatectomy for initially unresectable colorectal cancer with liver metastasis

Purpose Selected patients with initially unresectable colorectal cancer (CRC) and liver metastases undergo conversion surgery after appropriate chemotherapy. The prognosis of these patients is good, with some even cured of the disease. This retrospective, single-institution study analyzes the clinical importance of patient characteristics on the outcomes of conversion hepatectomy. Methods We evaluated 229 consecutive patients with initially unresectable CRC and liver metastasis, who underwent systemic chemotherapy. The patients were assigned to groups depending on conversion hepatectomy. Results Conversion hepatectomy was performed in 30 patients (13.1%). The proportion of patients with extrahepatic metastasis was significantly lower in the conversion group than in the unresectable group (30.0 vs. 66.8%; P