title: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy for patients with liver metastases from colorectal cancer.
abstract: Colorectal cancer is the second most common type of cancer in industrialized countries. Despite improved resection procedures and optimized adjuvant chemotherapy, local or distant recurrences occur in 22-25% of patients with stage II/III colon cancer. Approximately 30% of patients have advanced disease at presentation. The liver is the most common site of colorectal metastases and, interestingly, 20-30% of patients with colorectal cancer have liver-only metastases. The combined modality of chemotherapy and surgery increases overall survival and the chance of cure for metastatic patients, even if there is no agreement in terms of the best schedule and how long the treatment must last. In this paper, we review the role and the rationale of neoadjuvant chemotherapy within a multimodal approach, and discuss remaining questions and future directions.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Medical Oncology, Ospedali Riuniti, Bergamo, Italy.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mandalà
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mosconi
authors.forename: Antonello
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Quadri
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Milesi
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Labianca
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000556:secondary; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents