Colorectal cancer with liver metastases -- is there a chance for cure?

ABSTRACT

Combined treatment with chemotherapy and surgery is the currently accepted standard for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer which can be rendered to resectability and a very efficient way to increase survival of patients with hepatic metastases from colorectal cancer. Cooperation between surgeons and oncologists is mandatory to insure these patients' best chance for survival. Patients with resectable disease must follow adjuvant chemotherapy, while patients with initially unresectable marginally resectable disease after downsizing with the help of chemotherapy must be given the chance of surgical reevaluation for having the metastatic disease resected,and then follow adjuvant chemotherapy. An impressive amount of new surgical techniques warrants the success of hepatic resection in metastatic disease while a whole constellation of novel chemotherapeutical and even more effective targeted agents assure better response rates, surgical resection rates and overall survival in these patients.