When liver metastases from colon cancer occur, surgery should be chosen if possible if there is still a chance of surgery. When surgery is not possible, chemotherapy can be considered, as well as targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and interventional therapy, through which life extension can be achieved.
In the case of right-sided colon cancer, especially malignant tumors in the hepatic flexure of the colon, liver metastases can occur directly through implantation. Some of this type of colon cancer can be removed surgically by removing the tumor and the diseased liver and colon tissue. Postoperatively, with chemotherapy as well as targeted therapy, relatively good treatment results can be obtained.
Left-sided colon cancer that has liver metastases will mostly be accompanied by infiltration of surrounding tissues, making it difficult to treat surgically. Some people can be treated with interventional therapy with chemotherapy to inhibit tumor progression and prolong life.
When surgery or chemotherapy is not appropriate, palliative care can be done on a case-by-case basis. In the case of abnormal liver function, hepatoprotective drugs are applied, drugs to lower blood ammonia are applied in hepatic coma, gastrointestinal obstruction is treated by palliative surgery, and pain is treated with analgesic drugs to relieve the patient’s pain and improve quality of life.