Surgical resection of pulmonary metastases from colorectal cancer: a systematic review of published series.

The treatment of patients with pulmonary metastases from colorectal cancer continues to evolve. Recently the use of novel agents as a first-line treatment in metastatic colorectal disease has generated cautious optimism in the oncological community. However, pulmonary metastasectomy remains a mainstay in a multidisciplinary concept for a highly selected subset of patients. A selected group of patients with metastases limited to the lungs may benefit from pulmonary metastasectomy with a 5-year survival rate of up to more than 50%. This review evaluates the current status of surgical resection in pulmonary metastases from colorectal cancer, with special emphasis on prognostic factors that influence survival, as well as on surgical approach and lymph node dissection and its impact on the management of patients with metastatic colorectal disease.