Liver metastases of colorectal cancer is present in more than 20% of new diagnosed patients and in 40–60% of relapsed patients.
It is a life-threatening prognostic aspect. Hepatic resection, when possible, is the best therapeutic modality, although the
overall survival rate is still low (30%). Angiography and intraoperative ultrasonography are useful for resection. The number
of hepatic metastases and the surgical margin are probably the most significant prognostic factors. Colorectal cancer may
spread predominantly to the liver making regional treatment strategies viable options. Subtotal hepatic resections and segmentectomies
are potentially curable procedures for single or small numbers of hepatic metastases without other sites of disease. However,
there have been no prospective randomized trials comparing patients with unresected liver metastases and resected metastases.
Regional chemotherapy with floxuridine seems usefull combined with hepatic resection or as palliative therapy. Gastric ulcer
and biliary sclerosis are the main related toxicities. Patients with localized, unresectable hepatic metastases or concomitant
bad medical condition may be candidates for radiation, percutaneous ethanol injection, cryosurgery, percutaneous radiofrequency,
hypoxic flow-stop perfusions with bioreductive alkylating agents, hepatic arterial ligation, embolization and chemoembolization.
These new hepatic-directed modalities of treatment are being investigated and may offer new approaches to providing palliation
and prolonging survival. This review will report the possibilities of intra-arterial chemotherapy and other novel hepatic-directed
approaches to the treatment of liver metastases from colorectal cancer.
Keywords liver metastases from colorectal cancer - intra-arterial chemotherapy - ethanol injection - cryosurgery - chemoembolization - radiofrequency - hypoxic flow stop perfusion