Liver

In colorectal cancer, the liver is very often affected by metastases, which then form daughter tumors. However, these tumors can often be operated on very well and can be reduced in size or removed completely by chemotherapy or radiotherapy. In some cases, in-situ ablations are also performed.

This means that the tumors are not removed by surgery, but destroyed directly in the liver. To do this, heat is conducted through a needle into the daughter tumor from the outside, causing it to die. Very good results are also achieved with this method.

Furthermore, the liver is an organ that consists of 8 parts. If one or more parts are removed, they can regenerate, or the organ can work very well without the missing parts. Unfortunately, sometimes metastases are located in very unfavorable places, such as important vascular or nerve tracts or too close to other vital structures, so that surgery cannot be performed here.

It is similar when the whole organ is affected by metastases. In this case, chemotherapy or radiotherapy must be used. In addition to the two common procedures mentioned above, in-situ ablation is also an option here.

Final stage

This is called the final stage of the disease when metastases are found in other organs and regional and distant lymph nodes have metastases. Almost all patients receive palliative treatment in the final stage. Palliative means that pain is alleviated and the last stage of life is made easier as far as medication allows.

This also applies to psychological care, food adapted to the disease and accompanying relatives. Nevertheless, there are also patients who show improvement in stage 4 and whose tumors can be reduced in size by chemotherapy or radiotherapy in such a way that their lifetime is extended.Even if this reaches a very small number of patients, this possibility should also be mentioned. It should be clear, however, that a curative treatment is hardly possible. And therapies of all kinds only serve to prolong life.

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