It is estimated that 15-20 % of colorectal cancer patients present with synchronous liver metastases and approximately 50% of the patients with colorectal tumors will develop liver metastases at some point during the course of their disease. In almost one third of the cases, the liver was shown at autopsy to be the only site of cancer spread. This is in accordance with the 20% - 45 % five-year survival obtained with surgical resection of hepatic metastases.