Predictive Markers of Colorectal Cancer Liver Metastases

Abstract

Liver metastases are the most common site of distant failure after curative resection of colorectal cancer and a source of significant cancer-related morbidity and mortality. Currently, imaging and conventional histopathologic features, such as T-stage and N-stage, are used by clinicians to inform prognosis and guide adjuvant treatment to reduce the risk of developing distant metastases. However, these tools only have a moderate ability to predict the development of liver metastases. Novel methods, including the detection of circulating tumor cells and carcinoembryonic antigens in serum, have been developed, and their prognostic and predictive characteristics have been assessed. In addition, several molecular and genetic markers in the primary tumor have been studied. Unfortunately, these studies are often small and their results have been mixed, yielding no consistent sets of externally validated predictors of colorectal liver metastases. For widespread clinical relevance, future tests need to be independently carried out on large independent patient samples.

A nomogram prediction model based on clinicopathological combined radiological features for metachronous liver metastasis of colorectal cancer

“…External validity remains to be evaluated. Fourthly, there are some molecular tumor markers, such as KRAS, NRAS, and BRAF, that might have promising relevance between LM and their positive value 39,40 , but it was impossible to collect these data in the present study because those biomarkers were not performed in all cases during the study period. Fifthly, the CT features analyzed in this study were based on the features by Kim et al 12 and Eurboonyanun et al 13 , including basic morphological and enhancement characteristics, but they might not be comprehensive enough.…”

High hepatic expression of PDK4 improves survival upon multimodal treatment of colorectal liver metastases

“…So far, most trials investigating tissue-based prognostic markers in patients with advanced CRC focussed on tumour tissue, obtained from the primary cancer site or from metastatic lesions. 14 , 15 , 17 However, postoperative liver dysfunction, due to chemotherapy-induced oxidative stress and cellular apoptosis, may significantly limit the overall survival of patients undergoing liver resection for treatment of CRLM. 5 , 27 In our opinion, the putative significance of liver-specific prognostic and predictive markers, which are detectable in healthy tissue obtained from CRLM patients, has been underestimated.…”