Effects of hepatic metastases on resting energy expenditure in patients with colorectal cancer

There are frequent reports that cancer causes an increase in resting energy expenditure (REE), and the presence of hepatic metastases is said to increase REE further. The effect of tumour burden on REE has been measured in 24 patients before and following surgery for colorectal cancer. Fifteen patients had a 'curative' resection whereas nine patients were found to have hepatic metastases at the time of surgery. No significant differences in REE were found between the groups either before surgery or at follow-up, by which time all 15 curative resection patients were tumour free and the remaining nine had progression of their hepatic disease. It is concluded that neither surgical removal of the primary tumour nor progression of metastatic hepatic disease significantly alters REE in patients with colorectal cancer.