Table 2.
Chief complaints, signs, and liver function tests of patients with colorectal cancer liver metastasis who died of disease, by dominant metastatic site.
| Liver Dominant (n=231) | N | % |
| LFT abnormality | 183 | 79.2 |
| Liver failure | 24 | 10.4 |
| Symptoms/Signs | ||
| Jaundice | 66 | 28.6 |
| Cachectic | 40 | 17.3 |
| Hepatic encephalopathy | 21 | 9.1 |
| Abdominal distension | 20 | 8.7 |
| Hepatomegaly | 26 | 11.3 |
| Pain | 24 | 10.4 |
| Infectious disease | 13 | 5.6 |
| Respiratory distress | 18 | 7.8 |
| GI bleeding | 3 | 1.3 |
| Intraabdominal Sites Dominant (n=76) | N | % |
| Liver metastases exist | 50 | 65.8 |
| LFT abnormality | 35 | 46.1 |
| Liver failure | 0 | 0.0 |
| Symptoms/Signs | ||
| Peritonitis carcinomatosis | 20 | 26.3 |
| Pain | 13 | 17.1 |
| Abdominal distension | 12 | 15.8 |
| Cachectic | 16 | 21.1 |
| Infectious disease | 4 | 5.3 |
| Respiratory distress | 2 | 2.6 |
| GI bleeding | 2 | 2.6 |
| Vaginal bleeding | 2 | 2.6 |
| Others | 5 | 6.6 |
| Intrathoracic Sites Dominant (n=53) | N | % |
| Liver metastases exist | 27 | 50.9 |
| LFT abnormality | 11 | 20.8 |
| Liver failure | 0 | 0.0 |
| Symptoms/signs | ||
| Respiratory distress | 30 | 56.6 |
| Cachectic | 8 | 15.1 |
| Pain | 5 | 9.4 |
| Infectious disease | 4 | 7.5 |
| Hemoptysis | 1 | 1.9 |
| Others | 4 | 7.5 |
| Bone Dominant (n=30) | N | % |
| Liver metastases exist | 18 | 60.0 |
| LFT abnormality | 12 | 40.0 |
| Liver failure | 0 | 0.0 |
| Symptoms/Signs | ||
| Pain | 20 | 66.7 |
| Spinal cord compression | 8 | 26.7 |
| Cachectic | 1 | 3.3 |
| Respiratory distress | 1 | 3.3 |
| Brain Dominant (n=34) | N | % |
| Liver metastases exist | 24 | 70.6 |
| LFT abnormality | 15 | 44.1 |
| Liver failure | 0 | 0.0 |
| Symptoms/Signs | ||
| Focal neurologic symptoms | 20 | 58.8 |
| Altered mental status | 3 | 8.8 |
| Pain | 3 | 8.8 |
| Respiratory distress | 2 | 5.9 |
| Headache | 2 | 5.9 |
| Cachectic | 2 | 5.9 |
| Others | 2 | 5.9 |
Notes: GI, gastrointestinal; LFT, liver function test