Liu WX, Jiang C, Li JX. Current status and advances in the treatment of colorectal cancer with liver metastases. World J Clin Oncol 2025; 16(7): 107438 [DOI: 10.5306/wjco.v16.i7.107438]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Jia-Xin Li, MD, Assistant Professor, Division of Liver Surgery, Department of General Surgery and Laboratory of Liver Surgery, and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37 Guoxue Alley, Wuhou District, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China. lijiaxin@scu.edu.cn
Research Domain of This Article
Surgery
Article-Type of This Article
Minireviews
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Clin Oncol. Jul 24, 2025; 16(7): 107438 Published online Jul 24, 2025. doi: 10.5306/wjco.v16.i7.107438
Current status and advances in the treatment of colorectal cancer with liver metastases
Wei-Xing Liu, Chuang Jiang, Jia-Xin Li
Wei-Xing Liu, Department of Liver Surgery, West China Hospital, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China
Chuang Jiang, Jia-Xin Li, Division of Liver Surgery, Department of General Surgery and Laboratory of Liver Surgery, and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China
Co-first authors: Wei-Xing Liu and Chuang Jiang.
Author contributions: Liu WX, Jiang C and Li JX contributed to this paper; Liu WX designed the overall concept and outline of the manuscript; Jiang C and Li JX contributed to the discussion and design of the manuscript; Liu WX and Li JX contributed to the writing, and editing the manuscript, and review of literature.
Supported by the Project of Guizhou Provincial Department of Science and Technology, No. Qian Ke He Cheng Guo-LC[2024]109.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Jia-Xin Li, MD, Assistant Professor, Division of Liver Surgery, Department of General Surgery and Laboratory of Liver Surgery, and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37 Guoxue Alley, Wuhou District, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China. lijiaxin@scu.edu.cn
Received: March 24, 2025 Revised: April 29, 2025 Accepted: June 23, 2025 Published online: July 24, 2025 Processing time: 121 Days and 4 Hours
Abstract
The incidence of colorectal cancer is gradually increasing, and a majority of patients are diagnosed with distant metastases at the time of initial diagnosis, with the liver being the most common site of metastasis. Unlike most malignant tumors, patients with distant metastases can still achieve favorable prognoses if both the primary tumor and liver metastases are surgically resected. With advances in systemic therapies, many patients with initially unresectable liver metastases from colorectal cancer can undergo systemic treatment to achieve conversion therapy, thereby gaining the opportunity for surgery. However, there is still no consensus on several issues, including the timing of systemic therapy before and after surgery, whether neoadjuvant therapy should be employed, and the choice between simultaneous or staged surgeries. This review aims to systematically describe the current treatment landscape for colorectal cancer with liver metastases and highlight several unresolved controversial issues, providing valuable insights for the diagnosis and treatment of colorectal liver metastases.
Core Tip: Colorectal cancer liver metastases (CRLM) present a significant clinical challenge, yet surgical resection of both primary and metastatic lesions can yield favorable outcomes. Advances in systemic therapies enable conversion therapy for initially unresectable cases, offering potential surgical opportunities. However, key controversies persist, including optimal timing of systemic therapy, the role of neoadjuvant treatment, and the choice between simultaneous or staged surgeries. This review outlines current CRLM management strategies and highlights unresolved issues to guide clinical decision-making.
