Managing synchronous rectal cancer and liver metastases

摘要

At presentation, 20% of patients with colorectal cancer have liver metastases [1]. Increasingly effective chemotherapy regimens and greater options for resection have improved survival. As a result, 5-year survival can reach 55% after radical resection of all tumor sites [2]. Historically, the management strategy of colon carcinoma with liver metastases was resection of the primary tumor followed by treatment of the liver metastases. Now, despite a lack of data, a liver-first approach with synchronous colon carcinoma has been widely adopted because it results in more patients managing to complete the full treatment protocol [3].