Preventable perioperative mortality from colorectal cancer.

Of 271 patients with primary colorectal cancer, 70 (26%) had detectable hepatic metastases. A primary tumour resection was possible for 225 (83%) of patients overall. Of the 46 patients with non resectable tumours, 38 (82%) had hepatic metastases. 23 (33%) of the patients with Dukes' D tumours died perioperatively relative to 13 (6%) of those with localised tumours (p < .001). Seventeen (70%) of the twenty three patients with Dukes' D cancers who died perioperatively had locally advanced disease but were not obstructed and had neither a resection or a stoma performed. Perioperative mortality is unacceptably high in patients with hepatic metastases but may be reduced by more specialised investigation of patients with suspected advanced disease to assess the degree of local dissemination and liver seeding prior to considering laparotomy.