Aims: To assess the predictive value of the Doppler perfusion index (DPI) in a cohort of patients with colorectal cancer with and without initial metastatic disease and present the data of at least 4 years follow-up.
Methods: We studied 133 patients admitted with stage I-IV colorectal cancer. In all patients hepatic flow measurements were performed in the week before surgery. All patients who underwent curative surgery on intention were followed up for at least 4 years.
Results: Reliable DPI measurements were not possible in 29 patients. Three groups were defined for comparison: (A) 57 patients who remained disease free, (B) 11 patients who presented with metachronous liver metastases during follow-up and (C) 19 patients with liver metastases at initial presentation. No significant difference was found for DPI data between the three groups. There was a trend for a higher hepatic artery flow in patients with initial liver metastases compared to those who remained disease free (p=0.07). The previously reported cut-off point for maximal normal DPI (0.3) did not have any predictive value in this patient cohort.
Conclusion: The present data do not confirm the usefulness of DPI measurements in daily clinical practice for the early identification of patients with colorectal cancer at high risk for recurrent disease.