New advances in local therapy for colorectal cancer metastases to the liver

SUMMARY

The liver is the most common site of metastasis from primary colorectal cancer (CRC), and liver metastasis represents a major cause of morbidity and mortality for patients with primary CRC. Of patients with metastatic CRC that is confined to the liver, only a minority of patients are candidates for potentially curative surgical resection. In addition, to the very well-established modalities of surgery and thermal ablation, several newer locoregional therapies are available for the treatment of hepatic metastases, including stereotactic body radiotherapy, radioembolization and chemoembolization. Small prospective studies evaluating these treatments show promising response rates and local control in the first-line and salvage settings. Further randomized trials are required for a more rigorous assessment of the benefit and optimal setting in which these therapies should be used in patients with CRC liver metastases.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

BH O’Neil has consulted for Genentech and Regeneron in the past year, and Bristol-Myers Squibb within 2 years. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials ­discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.