We studied 54 patients with multiple (more than 5 nodules) hepatic metastases from colorectal carcinoma retrospectively. Twelve cases in the non-chemotherapy group had a 0% one-year survival rate and 3.0 months of 50% survival period; 15 patients in the general chemotherapy group had 23.4% and 5.1 months respectively. In contrast, 27 subjects in the arterial chemotherapy group showed 48.3% and 11.5 months respectively (p < 0.05). Five cases that received hepatectomy were all alive but the prognosis remains unclear. It is suggested that long survivors with multiple metastases from colorectal cancer need radical resection of primary lesion and intrahepatic arterial chemotherapy.