New approaches to the treatment of hepatic malignancies: Angiogenesis and antiangiogenic therapy of colon cancer liver metastasis

The fact that tumor growth and metastatic spread relies on angiogenesis has been widely proven and accepted. The understanding of cancer biology and metastasis formation has led to the development of new therapeutic approaches that target tumor biology. The survival and establishment of metastatic lesions depend on a shift in the normal balance of proangiogenic and antiangiogenic factors that favor angiogenesis. Colorectal cancer is one of the leading cancer deaths worldwide. Angiogenesis has been associated with colon cancer progression and metastatic spread, thereby significantly affecting patient survival. New experimental approaches that inhibit angiogenic processes have demonstrated promising antineoplastic effects on metastatic colorectal cancer and are partially being investigated in clinical trials. This review focuses on angiogenesis in colorectal cancer metastasis formation as a target for antiangiogenic therapy, describing the experience from experimental studies and current clinical trials.