The rate of colorectal cancer (CRC) has altered. Early-onset CRC patients are
increasing, and it is one of the main causes of cancer-related death. Based on
epidemiologic change, the CRC screening program needs to be changed. To increase
compliance, non-invasive screening techniques are developed. Although CRC
survival has increased, the oncologic prognosis of metastatic CRC is remains
poor. Even in metastatic CRC, which is the most difficult to treat, attempts are
being made to increase the survival rate by active surgical therapy with the
creation of chemotherapeutic regimens and targeted treatment based on genomic
information. Due to the introduction of aggressive chemotherapy regimens,
targeted therapy based on genomic features, and improvements in surgical
technique, the role of surgical treatment in metastatic CRC has expanded.
Metastatic CRC surgery was indicated for liver, lung, and even peritoneal
seeding. Local ablation therapy was also effectively used for liver and lung
metastasis. Cytoreductive surgery and intraperitoneal chemotherapy were tried
for peritoneal seeding and demonstrated good results in a subgroup of patients,
although the right indication was carefully assessed. At the same time, one of
the key goals of treatment for CRC was to maintain functional outcomes.
Neoadjuvant treatment, in particular, helped rectal cancer patients preserve
functional results while maintaining oncologic safety. Rectal cancer organ
preservation techniques are now being researched heavily in a variety of
neoadjuvant treatment settings, including immunotherapy and whole neoadjuvant
therapy. Precision medicine based on patient and disease characteristics is
currently being used for the diagnosis and treatment of CRC.
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Weighing the benefits of lymphadenectomy in early-stage colorectal cancer Seung Min Baik, Ryung-Ah Lee Annals of Surgical Treatment and Research.2023; 105(5): 245. CrossRef