Multimodal treatment of rectal cancer with resectable synchronous liver metastases: A systematic review

Background Specific studies on stage IV rectal cancer are lacking. The aim of this study is to describe the current status of rectum-first approach (RFA), liver-first approach (LFA) and simultaneous approach (SA) in these patients. Methods A systematic review was performed on PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane including studies published from January 2005 to January 2021. Studies on colon cancer only, colon and rectal cancer without distinction, extrahepatic metastases at diagnosis, or case reports/letters were excluded. Main outcomes were 5-yr overall survival (OS) and treatment completion rates. Results 22 studies were included for a total of 1,653 patients. 77% of the studies were retrospective and mainly (59%) reported one treatment approach. The primary endpoint was declared in 27% of the studies. Irrespective of treatment approaches, the 5-yr OS rate was reported in 72% of the studies. The 5-yr OS rates ranged from 38.5% to 75% for LFA, from 28% and 80% for RFA and from 28.2% to 77.3% for SA. Treatment completion rates ranged from 50% to 100% for LFA, from 37% to 100% for RFA, and from 66% to 100% for SA. Conclusion The wide heterogeneity of the results reflects that the therapeutic strategy in this setting is a case-by-case multidisciplinary decision and depends on several patient-specific features.