Resection of the Primary in Unresectable Colorectal Cancer Liver Metastases – Is It Worth?

Abstract

Many patients with colorectal liver metastasis cannot be cured of their disease. This is because it has spread widely throughout the liver and is therefore not resectable. In this context, palliative chemotherapy is the main treatment modality. Moreover, in many of these patients, the primary tumor that caused the problem is relatively asymptomatic, and from a clinical perspective, a major problem in dealing with these patients is what to do with the primary cancer. In other words, it is a matter of great debate whether some of these patients benefit from a palliative primary tumor resection once some studies have suggested that resecting the primary cancer can prolong survival and prevent complication arising from the cancer, such as obstruction or bleeding. This review addresses the question of whether surgically removing the primary cancer is beneficial to patients with unresectable colorectal liver metastasis.