Contemporary surgical options for metastatic colorectal cancer

The diagnosis of stage IV colorectal cancer was once associated with a uniformly grim prognosis. Over the last 20 years, advances in chemotherapeutics, surgical technique, and surgical adjuncts have dramatically broadened treatment options and improved outcomes. Among current treatment options, surgery remains the key component of any multidisciplinary approach with surgical data demonstrating the longest survivorship. This review will summarize current and developing surgical advances in the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer. Specifically, we will discuss how surgical interventions fit within the greater context of a multi-modality approach, as well as, the specific, recent innovations in the surgical management of hepatic and extrahepatic metastases.