[A Case of Obstructive Rectal Cancer with Huge Liver Metastases Resected by the Liver-First Approach after Chemotherapy].

ABSTRACT

The patient was a 68-year-old woman without history of surgery. She presented with abdominal pain and leg edema. Ultrasound scan revealed hepatic masses. Colonoscopy and abdominal CT scan revealed unresectable rectal carcinoma with massive multiple liver metastases suspected of invasion of the inferior vena cava. After a transverse colon bi-pore colostomy, 10 courses of FOLFOX plus panitumumab therapy were administered, and the liver tumor was markedly reduced in size and determined to be PR by CT. Considering the possibility of unresectability due to the liver metastases re-growth, surgery was planned with liver-first approach(LFA). First, open resection of the right caudate lobe of the liver, combined resection of the IVC, combined resection of the diaphragm, partial hepatic S2 resection(2 sites), and cholecystectomy were performed, followed by laparoscopic anterior resection(D3)1 month later(R0). Postoperatively, the colostomy was closed after 8 courses of CapeOX(capecitabine alone from the middle of the course). Now the patient is alive and recurrence-free 4 years after the initial diagnosis. Conversion surgery with LFA after chemotherapy can be an effective treatment strategy for colorectal cancer with advanced liver metastases.