The optimal surgical strategy for treatment of patients with resectable synchronous rectal liver metastases remains controversial. To answer whether synchronous rectal cancer liver metastases (SLM) should be resected simultaneously with primary cancer or should be delayed, We conducted a randomized, controlled trial to compare the safety and efficacy of simultaneous versus delayed resection of the rectum and liver. Patients with rectal cancer and resectable SLM were randomly assigned to either simultaneous or delayed resection of the metastases. The primary outcome was the rate of major complications (Clavien-Dindo grade≥III) within 30 days following surgery. Secondary outcomes included disease-free and overall survival. A consecutive patients of rectal cancer with liver metastasis from ZhongShan hospital, Fudan university were enrolled and randomly assigned to simultaneous liver resections and staged hepatectomies. Post-operative complications, peri-operative mortality, long-term survival were compared.
The purpose of this study is to investigate the safety and efficacy of simultaneous liver resections compared to staged hepatectomies of rectal cancer with liver metastasis and to compare the short and long-term survival between the two groups.