[Colorectal liver metastases: history, sciences and clinical practices]

Abstract

Colorectal liver metastasis is one of the best-known clinical models of multidisciplinary approach. Chemotherapy, targeted therapies, surgery and interventional radiology permitted to obtain up to 40 months of survival in palliative intent for liver metastases only and between 40 to 50% of overall survival in curative intent. Genetic, epigenetic, cellular and tissular processes are more and more well described but attempts to link biological knowledge to clinical practice are still faint. The cut-off between curative and palliative intents is progressively pushed away but consequently, its signification is less clear. Maybe an additional intermediary new concept should be added, the metastatic disease chronicisation? Evaluating the patient benefice is difficult and should stand on progression free survival as surrogate marker.

Keywords: ablation; chemotherapy; colorectal cancer; liver metastasis; surgery.