Current status and future perspectives on treatment of liver metastasis in colorectal cancer (Review)

Liver metastasis is the most common site of colorectal cancer (CRC) metastasis. Approximately half of all colorectal cancer patients will develop liver metastases. Although radical surgery is the standard treatment modality, only 10-20% of patients are deemed eligible for resection. Despite advances in survival with chemotherapy, surgical resection is still considered the only curative option for patients with liver metastases. Much effort has been expended to address patients with metastatic liver disease. The majority of evidence stated a significant survival benefit with surgical resection to reach an overall 5-year survival rate of 35-55% after hepatic resection. However, still majority of patients will experience disease recurrence even after a successful resection. In this review, we describe current status and controversies related to treatment options for CRC liver metastases and its potential for enhancing oncologic outcomes and improving quality of life.