Dr. Spaggiari on Considerations for Patients With CRC and Liver Metastases Without Surgical Options

Mario Spaggiari, MD, transplant surgeon, Division of Transplantation, University of Illinois Health, discusses considerations for patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) and liver metastases who have no surgical options.

Some patients with CRC and liver metastases are not considered to be surgical candidates, Spaggiari says. For example, a patient in which no segment of their liver can be spared would not be considered candidates for surgery.

However, advances in the field are increasing potential options for these patients, Spaggiari explains. For example, patients may be eligible for a hepatic artery infusion pump, which is an aggressive, liver-targeted chemotherapy. In approximately half of patients, this strategy downstages the tumor so the patient becomes eligible for surgery.

Ultimately, however, early utilization of chemotherapy is necessary in these situations because aggressive surgery does not work for patients who have disease progression on chemotherapy, Spaggiari concludes.