What is the optimal neo-adjuvant treatment for liver metastasis?

Abstract

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in the Western population and has a 5-year overall survival of 5–10% when metastatic. Approximately 30% of the patients with metastatic colorectal cancer have limited disease apparently isolated to the liver and, if this can be resected, the 5-year overall survival is improved to 30–60%. Therefore, it is important to identify patients who have both resectable disease and those with initially unresectable tumors who can potentially be downsized with chemotherapy to allow resection. First-line doublet chemotherapy regimens lead to response rates of 50–60%, triplet chemotherapy regimens may result in a response rate of up to 70%, and biological agents may add to responses or induce morphologic changes that facilitate disease resection. Surgical advances in recent years have also increased resectability rates and have challenged prior rules of resectability. Local therapies including ablation and radiation, often performed in conjunction with resection, may further aid in control of disease. The aim of this article is to focus on the role of neoadjuvant therapy in the treatment of colorectal liver metastases.