Dr. Pawlik on Advances in Management of mCRC With Liver Metastases

Timothy M. Pawlik, MD, PhD, MPH, surgical oncologist, surgeon-in-chief, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, chair, Department of Surgery, professor of surgery, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center–James, discusses advances in the management of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) with liver metastases.

Significant progress has been made over the past 2 decades regarding the treatment of patients with mCRC and liver metastases, says Pawlik. Notably, multimodal, targeted chemotherapy has significantly improved the median survival of patients, including those with advanced, unresectable disease, compared with historic survival rates, Pawlik explains.

Additionally, surgical management for patients with operable disease has also improved. Advances in this space have made surgery safer for patients, with some being able to undergo minimally invasive liver resections, explains Pawlik. Moreover, the field has developed a greater understanding of how to approach liver metastases in the perioperative setting, says Pawlik.

Ultimately, incorporating improved chemotherapy regimens into the surgical management of patients with operable disease has dramatically improved 5-year survival rates for this patient population, Pawlik says.