Updated options for liver-limited metastatic colorectal cancer

Liver metastases from colorectal cancer (CRC) are common in patients presenting with an initial diagnosis of metastatic disease or at the time of recurrence. Without treatment, patients with metastatic disease have a poor prognosis. Surgical resection of the metastases might provide long-term benefit.; however, the size, number, or location of the metastases can limit the ability to perform a resection. The use of chemotherapy, both systemic and via hepatic artery infusion, in patients undergoing surgery for liver metastases from CRC has augmented the long-term survival benefits and even the cure obtained in some patients with surgery. Chemotherapy might also convert a portion of patients with initially unresectable liver metastases to resectable. A growing body of literature is helping to define the role of chemotherapy for potentially resectable liver metastases and for initially unresectable liver metastases. The introduction of newer agents such as oxaliplatin and irinotecan, and targeted agents such as cetuximab and bevacizumab, has led to meaningful improvements in response rates and survival over those previously achieved with 5-fluorouracil. Further trials are needed to refine the use of chemotherapy and targeted agents in the management of patients with liver metastases.