The surgical treatment of patients with colorectal cancer and liver metastases in the setting of the "liver first" approach.

A surgical resection is the only curative method in the therapy of colorectal carcinoma and liver metastases. Along with the development of interventional radiological techniques the indications for surgery widen. The number of metastases and patients age should not present a contraindication for surgical resection. However, there are still some doubts concerns what to resect first in cases of synchronous colorectal carcinoma and liver metastases and how to ensure the proper remnant liver volume in order to avoid postoperative liver failure and achieve the best results. Through this review the surgical therapy of colorectal carcinoma and liver metastases was revised in the setting of "liver-first" approach and the problem of ensuring of remnant liver volume.