Chronic hepatic viral infection could be a protective factor for colorectal cancer liver metastases: analysis in a single institute.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: We tested the hypothesis that chronic hepatic virus infection could reduce the occurrence of colorectal cancer liver metastases (CLM) and investigated CLM patients' survival prolonged in positive viral infection.

METHODOLOGY: 2868 colorectal cancer patients were divided into positive-infection and non-infection groups. Clinical variables, incidence of liver metastases and survival between the groups were respectively analyzed.

RESULTS

The incidence of liver metastases in the positive group was much lower than in the control group, but other type distant metastasis was similar in the two groups. Infected group 5-year overall survival (OS) was better than the negative group. Meanwhile, CLM patients in the former group showed longer survival time than the control group (26 months vs. 20 months, p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Chronic hepatic viral infection could reduce the occurrence of CLM and improves the survival time of colorectal cancer. It could be a protective factor for CLM patients.