title: An update and our experience with metastatic liver disease.
abstract: Metastatic liver disease remains a challenging and life-threatening clinical situation with an obscure and dismal prognosis and outcome. The liver is the most common site of metastatic spread of colorectal cancer and nearly half of the patients with colorectal cancer ultimately develop liver metastasis during the course of their diseases. Death from colorectal cancer is often a result of liver metastases. Over half of these patients die from their metastatic liver diseases. At the time of diagnosis, hepatic metastases are present in 15-25% of patients, and another 25-50% will develop metachronous liver metastases within 3 years following resection of the primary tumor. Over the last decade, there have been tremendous advances in the treatment of metastatic liver disease. Hepatic resection still remains the gold standard for the treatment of metastatic lesions which are amenable to surgery. Unfortunately, up to 40 percent of patients are identified as having additional disease at the time of exploration, and 20 percent are found to be unresectable. Regional therapies such as radiofrequency ablation, microwave ablation and cryotherapy may be offered to patients with isolated unresectable metastases. Other options like hepatic artery chemotherapy and chemoembolization, portal vein embolization and immunotherapy also play a vital role in management of metastatic liver disease when used in combination with other therapies. This article reviews the history of metastatic liver disease, epidemiology, diagnosis and various treatment modalities available for liver metastases along with our experience in management of advance metastatic liver disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, Athens Medical Center, Psychicko Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Mahim
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koshariya
authors.forename: Rajan B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Jagad
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kawamoto
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Papastratis
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kefalourous
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Porfiris
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tzouma
authors.forename: N J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Lygidakis
mesh_terms: D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003972:Diathermy; D006498:Hepatectomy; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000556:secondary* / Q000628:therapy; D008872:Microwaves / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed