Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

LIVE: Thursday 27th June 2024, 18:00-19:30 (CEST)
Join our expert panel to discover why you need to understand the drivers of non-adherence in your patients, and how you can optimize medication adherence in your clinics to drastically improve patient outcomes.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
Annals of Surgical Oncology
Published in: Annals of Surgical Oncology 4/2013

01-04-2013 | Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal Liver Metastases: State of the Art Imaging

Authors: Kathryn Jane Fowler, MD, David C. Linehan, MD, Christine O. Menias, MD

Published in: Annals of Surgical Oncology | Issue 4/2013

Login to get access

Abstract

Colorectal cancer is a leading cause of death with mortality determined predominately by metastatic involvement of the liver. Treatment of liver metastases continues to evolve and imaging plays an essential role in initial staging, preoperative planning, and treatment monitoring. This review article discusses the current role of imaging in the management of patients with colorectal liver metastases. Particular challenges such as hepatic steatosis, disappearing metastases, and following treated lesions are addressed.
Literature
1.
Jemal A, Bray F, Center M, Ferlay J, Ward E, Forman D. Global cancer statistics. CA Cancer J Clin. 2011;61:69–90.PubMedCrossRef
2.
Manfredi S, Lepage C, Hatem C, Coatmeur O, Faivre J, Bouvier A. Epidemiology and management of liver metastases from colorectal cancer. Ann Surg. 2006;244:254–9.PubMedCrossRef
3.
Alberts S, Poston G. Treatment advances in liver-limited metastatic colorectal cancer. Clin Colorectal Cancer. 2011;10:258–65.PubMedCrossRef
4.
Berri R, Abdalla E. Curable metastatic colorectal cancer: recommended paradigms. Curr Oncol Rep. 2009;11:200–8.PubMedCrossRef
5.
Kopetz S, Vauthey JN. Perioperative chemotherapy for resectable hepatic metastases. Lancet. 2008;371(9617):1007–16.CrossRef
6.
Abdalla E, Vauthey J, Ellis L, Ellis V, Pollock R, Broglio K, et al. Recurrence and outcomes following hepatic resection, radiofrequency ablation, and combined resection/ablation for colorectal liver metastases. Ann Surg. 2004;239:818–25;discussion 825–7.PubMedCrossRef
7.
8.
Niekel MC, Bipat S, Stoker J. Diagnostic imaging of colorectal liver metastases with CT, MR imaging, FDG PET, and/or FDG PET/CT: a meta-analysis of prospective studies including patients who have not previously undergone treatment. Radiology. 2010;257:674–84.PubMedCrossRef
9.
Kinkel K, Lu Y, Both M, Warren R, Thoeni R. Detection of hepatic metastases from cancer of the gastrointestinal tract by using noninvasive imaging methods (US, CT, MR imaging, PET): a meta-analysis. Radiology. 2002;224:748–56.PubMedCrossRef
10.
van Kessel CS, Buckens CF, van den Bosch MA, van Leeuwen M, van Hillegersberg R, Verkooijen H. Preoperative imaging of colorectal liver metastases after neoadjuvant chemotherapy: a meta-analysis. Ann Surg Oncol. 2012;19:2805–13.PubMedCrossRef
11.
Muhi A, Ichikawa T, Motosugi U, Sou H, Nakajima H, Sano K, et al. Diagnosis of colorectal hepatic metastases: comparison of contrast-enhanced CT, contrast-enhanced US, superparamagnetic iron oxide-enhanced MRI, and gadoxetic acid enhanced MRI. J Magn Reson Imaging. 2011;34:326–35.PubMedCrossRef
12.
Kim YK, Park G, Kim CS, Yu HC, Han YM. Diagnostic efficacy of gadoxetic acid–enhanced MRI for the detection and characterization of liver metastases: comparison with multidetector-row CT. Br J Radiol. 2012;85:539–47.PubMedCrossRef
13.
Kenis C, Deckers F, De Foer B, Van Mieghem F, Van Laere S, Pouillon M. Diagnosis of liver metastases: can diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) be used as a standalone sequence? Eur J Radiol. 2012;81(5):1016–23.PubMedCrossRef
14.
Taouli B, Sandberg A, Stemmer A, Parikh T, Wong S, Xu J, et al. Diffusion-weighted imaging of the liver: comparison of navigator triggered and breathhold acquisitions. J Magn Reson Imaging. 2009;30:561–8.PubMedCrossRef
15.
Bruegel M, Holzapfel K, Gaa J, Woertler K, Waldt S, Kiefer B, et al. Characterization of focal liver lesions by ADC measurements using a respiratory triggered diffusion-weighted single-shot echo-planar MR imaging technique. Eur Radiol. 2008;18:477–85.PubMedCrossRef
16.
Bruegel M, Gaa J, Waldt S, Woertler K, Holzapfel K, Kiefer B, et al. Diagnosis of hepatic metastasis: comparison of respiration-triggered diffusion-weighted echo-planar MRI and five T2-weighted turbo spin-echo sequences. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2008;191:1421–9.PubMedCrossRef
17.
Parikh T, Drew SJ, Lee VS, Wong S, Hecht EM, Babb JS, et al. Focal liver lesion detection and characterization with diffusion-weighted MR imaging: comparison with standard breath-hold T2-weighted imaging. Radiology. 2008;246:812–22.PubMedCrossRef
18.
Holzapfel K, Eiber MJ, Fingerle AA, Bruegel M, Rummeny EJ, Gaa J. Detection, classification, and characterization of focal liver lesions: value of diffusion-weighted MR imaging, gadoxetic acid–enhanced MR imaging and the combination of both methods. Abdom Imaging. 2011;37:74–82.CrossRef
19.
Zech CJ, Herrmann KA, Reiser MF, Schoenberg SO. MR imaging in patients with suspected liver metastases: value of liver-specific contrast agent Gd-EOB-DTPA. Magn Reson Med Sci. 2007;6:43–52.PubMedCrossRef
20.
Hammerstingl R, Huppertz A, Breuer J, Balzer T, Blakeborough A, Carter R, et al. Diagnostic efficacy of gadoxetic acid (Primovist)-enahnced MRI and spiral CT for a therapeutic strategy: comparison with intraoperative and histopathologic findings in focal lesions. Eur Radiol. 2008;18:457–67.PubMedCrossRef
21.
Kulemann V, Schima W, Tamandl D, Kaczirek K, Gruenberger T, Wrba F, et al. Preoperative detection of colorectal liver metastases in fatty liver: MDCT or MRI? Eur J Radiol. 2011;79:e1–6.PubMedCrossRef
22.
Marckmann P, Skov L, Rossen K, Dupont A, Damholt MB, Heaf JG, et al. Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis: suspected causative role of gadodiamide used for contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2006;17:2359–62.PubMedCrossRef
23.
Chan K, Welch S, Walker-Dilks C, Raifu A, Ontario provincial Gastrointestinal Disease Site Group Evidence-based guideline recommendations on the use of positron emission tomography imaging in colorectal cancer. Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol). 2012;24:232–49.
24.
Fernandez F, Drebin J, Linehan D, Dehdashti F, Siegel B, Strasberg S. Five-year survival after resection of hepatic metastases from colorectal cancer in patient screened by positron emission tomography with F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG-PET). Ann Surg. 2004;240:438–50.PubMedCrossRef
25.
Llamas-Elvira JM, Rodríguez-Fernández A, Gutiérrez-Sáinz J, Gomez-Rio M, Bellon-Guardia M, Ramos-Font C, et al. Fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose PET in the preoperative staging of colorectal cancer. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2007;34:859–67.PubMedCrossRef
26.
Ruers T, Wiering B, van der Sijp J, Roumen R, de Jong K, Comans E, et al. Improved selection of patients for hepatic surgery of colorectal liver metastases with F18-FDG PET: a randomized study. J Nucl Med. 2009;50:1036–41.PubMedCrossRef
27.
Eubank WB, Wherry KL, Maki JH, Sahin H, Funkhouser CP, Schmiedl UP. Preoperative evaluation of patients awaiting liver transplantation: comparison of multiphasic contrast-enhanced 3D magnetic resonance to helical computed tomography examinations. J Magn Reson Imaging. 2002;16:565–75.PubMedCrossRef
28.
Sahani D, Mehta A, Blake M, Prasad S, Harris G, Saini S. Preoperative hepatic vascular evaluation with CT and MR angiography: implications for surgery. Radiographics. 2004;24:1367–80.PubMedCrossRef
29.
Lee SW, Park SH, Kim KW, Choi EK, Shin YM, Kim PN, et al. Unenhanced CT for assessment of macrovesicular hepatic steatosis in living liver donors: comparison of visual grading with liver attenuation index. Radiology. 2007;244:479–85.PubMedCrossRef
30.
Reeder SB, Cruite I, Hamilton G, Sirlin CB. Quantitative assessment of liver fat with magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy. J Magn Reson Imaging. 2011;34:729–49.PubMedCrossRef
31.
Marsman HA, van der Pool AE, Verheih J, Padmos J, Ten Kate FJ, Dwarkasing RS, et al. Hepatic steatosis assessment with CR or MRI in patients with colorectal liver metastases after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. J Surg Oncol. 2011;104:10–6.PubMedCrossRef
32.
Abulkhir A, Limongelli P, Healey AJ, Damrah O, Tait P, Jackson J, et al. Preoperative portal vein embolization for major liver resection: a meta-analysis. Ann Surg. 2008;247:49–57.PubMedCrossRef
33.
Tanaka K, Ichikawa Y, Endo I. Liver resection for advanced or aggressive colorectal cancer metastases in the era of effective chemotherapy: a review. Int J Clin Oncol. 2011;16:452–63.PubMedCrossRef
34.
Therasse P, Arbuck SG, Eisenhauer EA, Wanders J, Kaplan RS, Rubinstein L, et al. New guidelines to evaluate the response to treatment in solid tumors. European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer, National Cancer Institute of the United States, National Cancer Institute of Canada. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2000;92:205–16.PubMedCrossRef
35.
Purandare NC, Rangarajan V, Shah SA, Sharma AR, Kulkarni SS, Kulkarni AV, et al. Therapeutic response to radiofrequency ablation of neoplastic lesions: FEG PET/CT findings. Radiographics. 2011;31:201–13.PubMedCrossRef
36.
Benoist S, Brouquet A, Penna C, Julié C, El Hajjam M, Chagnon S, et al. Complete response of colorectal liver metastases after chemotherapy: does it mean cure? J Clin Oncol. 2006;24:3939–45.PubMedCrossRef
37.
Tan MC, Linehan DC, Hawkins WG, Siegel BA, Strasberg SM. Chemotherapy-induced normalization of FDG uptake by colorectal liver metastases does not usually indicate complete pathologic response. J Gastrointest Surg. 2007;11:1112–9.PubMedCrossRef
38.
Tanaka K, Takakura H, Takeda K, Matsuo K, Nagano Y, Endo I. Importance of complete pathologic response to prehepatectomy chemotherapy in treating colorectal cancer metastases. Ann Surg. 2009;250:935–42.PubMedCrossRef
39.
Auer RC, White RR, Kemeny NE, Schwartz LH, Shia J, Blumgart LH, et al. Predictors of a true complete response among disappearing liver metastases from colorectal cancer after chemotherapy. Cancer. 2010;116:1502–9.PubMedCrossRef
40.
Elias D, Youssef O, Sideris L, Dromain C, Baton O, Boige V, et al. Evolution of missing colorectal liver metastases following inductive chemotherapy and hepatectomy. J Surg Oncol. 2004;86:4–9.PubMedCrossRef
41.
Schima W, Ba-Ssalamah A, Kurtaran A, Schindl M, Gruenberger T. Post-treatment imaging of liver tumours. Cancer Imaging. 2007;7(Spec No A):S28–36.
42.
De Baere T, Deschamps F. Arterial therapies of colorectal cancer metastases to the liver. Abdom Imaging. 2011;36:661–70.PubMedCrossRef
43.
Martin RC, Joshi J, Robbins K, Tomalty D, O’Hara R, Tatum C. Transarterial chemoembolization of metastatic colorectal carcinoma with drug-eluting beads, irinotecan (DEBIRI): multi-institutional registry. J Oncol. 2009;2009:539795.PubMedCrossRef
44.
Martin RC, Joshi J, Robbins K, Tomalty D, Bosnjakovik P, Derner M, et al. Hepatic intra-arterial injection of drug-eluting bead, irinotecan (DEBIRI) in unresectable colorectal liver metastases refractory to systemic chemotherapy: results of multi-institutional study. Ann Surg Oncol. 2011;18:192–8.PubMedCrossRef
45.
Chua TC, Bester L, Saxena A, Morris DL. Radioembolization and systemic chemotherapy improves response and survival for unresectable colorectal liver metastases. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol. 2011;137:865–73.PubMedCrossRef
46.
Barker DW, Zagoria RJ, Morton KA, Kavanagh PV, Shen P. Evaluation of liver metastases after radiofrequency ablation: utility of 18F-FDG PET and PET/CT. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2005;184:1096–102.PubMedCrossRef
47.
Folprecht G, Grothey A, Alberts S, Raab HR, Kohne CH. Neoadjuvant treatment of unresectable colorectal liver metastases: correlation between tumour response and resection rates. Ann Oncol. 2005;16:1311.PubMedCrossRef
48.
DeLeve LD, Shulman HM, McDonald GB. Toxic injury to hepatic sinusoids: sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (veno-occlusive disease). Semin Liver Dis. 2002;22:27–42.PubMedCrossRef
49.
Narita M, Oussoultzoglou E, Chenard MP, Rosso E, Casnedi S, Pessaux P, et al. Sinusoidal obstruction syndrome compromises liver regeneration in patients undergoing two-stage hepatectomy with portal vein embolization. Surg Today. 2011;41:7–17.PubMedCrossRef
50.
Chiaradia M, Baranes L, Pigneur F, Djabbari M, Zegai B, Brugières P, et al. Liver magnetic resonance diffusion weighted imaging: 2011 update. Clin Res Hepatol Gastroenterol. 2011;35:539–48.PubMedCrossRef
51.
Siddiqi NH, Devlin PM. Radiation lobectomy—a minimally invasive treatment model for liver cancer: case report. J Vasc Interv Radiol. 2009;20:664–9.PubMedCrossRef
52.
Gaba RC, Lewandowski RJ, Kulik LM, Riaz A, Ibrahim SM, Mulcahy MF, et al. Radiation lobectomy: preliminary findings of hepatic volumetric response to lobar yttrium-90 radioembolization. Ann Surg Oncol. 2009;16:1587–96.PubMedCrossRef
Metadata
Title
Colorectal Liver Metastases: State of the Art Imaging
Authors
Kathryn Jane Fowler, MD
David C. Linehan, MD
Christine O. Menias, MD
Publication date
01-04-2013
Publisher
Springer-Verlag
Published in
Annals of Surgical Oncology / Issue 4/2013
Print ISSN: 1068-9265
Electronic ISSN: 1534-4681
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-012-2730-7

Other articles of this Issue 4/2013

Annals of Surgical Oncology 4/2013 Go to the issue

Endocrine Tumors

Association of Thyroid, Breast and Renal Cell Cancer: A Population-based Study of the Prevalence of Second Malignancies

Regional Cancer Therapies

Surveillance MR Imaging is Superior to Serum Tumor Markers for Detecting Early Tumor Recurrence in Patients with Appendiceal Cancer Treated with Surgical Cytoreduction and HIPEC

Translational Research and Biomarkers

The rs6983267 SNP Is Associated with MYC Transcription Efficiency, Which Promotes Progression and Worsens Prognosis of Colorectal Cancer

Hepatobiliary Tumors

Microvascular Invasion Does Not Predict Long-Term Survival in Hepatocellular Carcinoma up to 2 cm: Reappraisal of the Staging System for Solitary Tumors

Thoracic Oncology

Incidence and Predictive Factors for Pulmonary Metastases After Curative Resection of Colon Cancer

Colorectal Cancer

Rectal Cancer and Teaching Hospitals: Hospital Teaching Status Affects Use of Neoadjuvant Radiation and Survival for Rectal Cancer Patients