Improved Survival After CLM Resection over 20 Years

The management of colorectal liver metastases (CLM) is one of the keys to improve survival in patients with colorectal cancer because liver is the most common organ of metastases from colorectal cancer. Resection of CLM remains the most effective curative-intent treatment for this patient group. Refinements of surgical managements/techniques and advancements in medical therapy improved survival in patients with CLM in 2000s. Surgical managements/techniques are refined to use portal vein embolization, staged hepatectomy, and parenchyma-sparing liver resection. The understanding of surgical complexity for liver resection procedures improved the postoperative managements. Medical therapy was advanced to use irinotecan- and/or oxaliplatin-containing regimen and molecular-targeted therapy. These changes may have contributed to the improvement of the 5-year overall survival in patients undergoing CLM resection from approximately 30–35% before 2000 to approximately 50–60% after 2000.