Dr. Jain on Advances With Surgery and Systemic Therapy in CRC With Liver Metastases

Shikha Jain, MD, FACP, assistant professor of medicine, director of communication strategies in medicine, University of Illinois (UI) College of Medicine, associate director of oncology communication and digital innovation, UI Cancer Center, medical oncologist, Department of Hematology and Oncology, UI Health, discusses advances with surgical interventions and systemic therapies in colorectal cancer (CRC) with liver metastases.

Significant changes have been made regarding the treatment of patients with CRC and liver metastases. Historically, patients with more than 1 liver lesion were not considered candidates for curative-intent treatment; however, these patients are the subject of more up-front discussion to determine whether chemotherapy or surgery should be considered, Jain says.

Notably, data are emerging that have demonstrated utility with neoadjuvant chemotherapy or conversion therapies that can make a non-operative candidate eligible for surgery, Jain says. Moreover, personalized care that is based on patient factors, overall liver function, performance status, and tumor biology is being integrated to modify treatment approaches to individual patients. This offers additional treatment options beyond systemic therapy to patients with more than 1 liver lesion. Moreover, some of these patients are recommended for surgery plus systemic therapy, which can render them cancer free and improve overall survival, Jain concludes.