Curable metastatic colorectal cancer

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Gastroenterology

Background:

• Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of cancer death globally.
• Metastasis, particularly to the liver and lungs, is common in advanced CRC.
• Stage IV CRC historically has a poor prognosis, but cure is achievable for some.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current and emerging treatment strategies for metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC).
• To highlight the role of surgery and chemotherapy in managing stage IV CRC.
• To discuss novel local therapies for unresectable CRC metastases.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of treatment modalities for metastatic CRC.
• Analysis of surgical resection, chemotherapy, and local therapies.
• Discussion of ongoing research and future directions.

Main Results:

• Surgical resection offers the best curative potential for select stage IV CRC patients.
• Chemotherapy serves as an adjunct for neoadjuvant, adjuvant, or conversion therapy.
• Radiofrequency ablation and hepatic artery infusion are established options for unresectable metastases.

Conclusions:

• Curative treatment for stage IV CRC is possible with multimodal approaches.
• Novel local therapies like chemoembolization and stereotactic body radiation therapy require further clinical validation.
• Prospective trials are essential to define the optimal role of new treatments for metastatic CRC.