Pre-Clinical Detection and Treatment Targeting in Colorectal Hepatic Metastases

The prognosis for patients with colorectal metastases at the time of presentation is poor. Recently published reports have suggested that moderate improvements in survival are possible in patients with colorectal carcinoma, using 5-FU based chemo-therapeutic regimes given either as adjuvant therapy or in the presence of established metastases. The benefit is stage specific, less than 50% of patients being suitable candidates,the treatment of all patients therefore resulting in unnecessary morbidity,increasing the importance of accurate peri-operative staging