Controversies in the Management of Hepatic Colorectal Metastases

Excerpt

Colorectal cancer is the fourth leading cancer in the United States and ranks second in cancer-related deaths. Of the more than 140,000 new cases per year with this disease, 50% will develop liver metastases and approximately 30% will have metastatic disease confined to the liver. In the past, few patients who developed liver metastases were considered eligible for surgically directed therapies. With improved surgical techniques, reduced postoperative mortality, and better systemic therapy, outcomes have improved in recent years, with reported 5-year survival rates exceeding 50%. Given these results, an increasingly aggressive approach in the management of metastatic colorectal cancer has been advocated by many, including the expansion of indications for surgical therapy in these patients. …