PURPOSE: If it were possible to identify the features of primary colorectal carcinoma that were associated with liver metastasis, these features could be used as predictors of liver metastasis. METHODS: From January 1995 to December 1997, 648 consecutive cases of colorectal carcinoma were recorded at the Department of Surgery, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan. We evaluated clinicopathologic and immunohistochemical factors (age, gender, tumor location, gross type, size, histologic type, dedifferentiation of invasive front, depth of invasion, lymphatic invasion, venous invasion, lymph-node metastasis, and expression of CD10, MUC2, and human gastric mucin) in 505 of these patients who had undergone resection of T2/T3/T4 colorectal carcinomas to clarify the correlation between these factors and liver metastasis. RESULTS: Liver metastases, including unresectable, were detected in 122 patients (24 percent), all of whom had been followed for at least five years. Univariate analysis revealed that liver metastasis was significantly associated with tumor size, histologic type, dedifferentiation of invasive front, depth of invasion, lymphatic invasion, venous invasion, lymph-node metastasis, and CD10 expression. Multivariate analysis revealed that invasion deeper than the subserosa, venous invasion, lymph-node metastasis, and CD10 expression were significantly associated with liver metastases. CONCLUSIONS: CD10 expression in colorectal carcinoma is a good predictor of liver metastasis. METHODS: From January 1995 to December 1997, 648 consecutive cases of colorectal carcinoma were recorded at the Department of Surgery, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan. We evaluated clinicopathologic and immunohistochemical factors (age, gender, tumor location, gross type, size, histologic type, dedifferentiation of invasive front, depth of invasion, lymphatic invasion, venous invasion , lymph-node metastasis, and expression of CD10, MUC2, and human gastric mucin) in 505 of these patients who had undergone resection of T2 / T3 / T4 colorectal carcinomas to clarify the correlation between these factors and liver metastasis. , including unresectable, were detected in 122 patients (24 percent), all of whom had been followed for at least five years. Univariate analys is revealed that liver metastasis was significantly associated with tumor size, histologic type, dedifferentiation of invasive front, depth of invasion, lymphatic invasion, venous invasion, lymph-node metastasis, and CD10 expression. Multivariate analysis revealed that Sense deeper than the subserosa, venous invasion, lymph-node metastasis, and CD10 expression were significantly associated with liver metastases. CONCLUSIONS: CD10 expression in colorectal carcinoma is a good predictor of liver metastasis.