Oncological outcome of unresectable lung metastases without extrapulmonary metastases in colorectal cancer

Radiological complete response with regorafenib for multiple lung metastases of ascending colon cancer: a case report

BACKGROUND

Regorafenib is an oral diphenylurea multikinase inhibitor and currently approved for use following third-line therapy for metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Only one case has previously been reported of metastatic CRC showing a complete response (CR) to regorafenib.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 68-year-old Japanese man underwent laparoscopy-assisted ileocecal resection and D3 lymphadenectomy due to his ascending colon cancer. Eighteen months after surgery, a laparoscopic hepatic left lateral segmentectomy was performed due to a liver tumor, and a pathological diagnosis of colorectal liver metastasis was made. Three months after the second surgery, contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) revealed multiple lung metastases. The patient had undergone 18 courses of the FOLFOX + bevacizumab chemotherapy regimen as their first-line therapy and 11 courses of the FOLFIRI + ramucirumab chemotherapy regimen as their second-line therapy. As their third-line therapy, the patient was administered the regorafenib chemotherapy regimen. We evaluated the chemotherapy treatment's effect on the lung tumors by CT after 3, 7, 11, and 17 courses of the regorafenib chemotherapy regimen, finding that the lung tumors had shrunk with time; thus, each tumor was considered a partial response (PR) based on the RECIST guidelines. After 21 courses of the regorafenib chemotherapy regimen, the chemotherapy was discontinued in response to the patient's wishes. Even at 1 and 3 months after the discontinuation of the chemotherapy, CT revealed that the lung tumors had shrunk, with each considered a PR. Furthermore, 9 months after the discontinuation of the chemotherapy, CT revealed scarring of the lung tumors. This was considered a CR, rather than a PR. The patient remains disease-free 18 months after the discontinuation of chemotherapy.

CONCLUSIONS

In this paper, we present the second case of radiological CR with regorafenib for multiple lung metastases of ascending colon cancer. Currently, there is no consensus on a treatment strategy for patients with radiological CR.

Less aggressive treatment for less aggressive disease? A retrospective single-center study of pulmonary-limited metastases associated with colorectal cancer

OBJECTIVE

To explore the appropriate treatment strategies, clinical outcomes, and prognostic factors of patients with pulmonary-limited metastases derived from colorectal cancer (CRC), usually manifested as a less aggressive course.

METHODS

A retrospective review was conducted in 331 CRC patients diagnosed with pulmonary-limited metastases at a single institution between January 2011 and November 2017. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate the overall survival (OS). Further analysis was conducted according to treatment modalities. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to determine potential prognostic factors influencing OS.

RESULTS

With a median follow-up time of 38.6 months, the median OS in all patients was 45.2 months. A total of 163 patients received intensive local treatment with a median OS of 76.4 months, whereas 168 patients received palliative systemic treatment with a median OS of 29.7 months. The median OS was 68.9 months for patients treated with radiotherapy/radiofrequency ablation, with similar efficacy compared to surgery group, whose OS had not reached yet. No survival benefits were observed from the additional targeted therapy in systemic treatment group. The prognostic analysis demonstrated unilateral/bilateral lesions, synchronous/metachronous metastases, intensive local treatment, and resection of primary lesion that were significantly associated with survival of patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Intensive local treatment alone for pulmonary lesions was associated with excellent survival in certain patients with CRC presented with metastases confined to lungs. Doublet systemic chemotherapy as the first-line treatment also revealed satisfied efficacy and safety.

Survival outcomes of lung metastases from colorectal cancer treated with pulmonary metastasectomy or modern systemic chemotherapy: a single institution experience

BACKGROUND

Although pulmonary metastasectomy is an accepted treatment strategy for resectable lung metastases (LM) from colorectal cancer (CRC), its survival benefits are controversial. In contrast, recent advancements in chemotherapy have significantly improved metastatic CRC prognosis. This study aimed to evaluate survival outcome of LM from CRC in the age of newly developed chemotherapy.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed 50 patients who underwent complete resection and 22 patients who received chemotherapy as definitive treatment for LM from resected CRC at our hospital. The present study was limited to patients who started treatment for isolated LM after molecular targeted drugs became available in Japan.

RESULTS

Overall survival (OS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), disease-free survival (DFS) rates after pulmonary resection were 64.5%, 66.4%, and 32.6% at five years, respectively. OS and CSS rates of chemotherapy patients were 26.8% and 28.3% at five years, with a median progression-free survival time of 10.0 months. When compared the characteristics of surgical and chemotherapy patients, patients with pN factors of CRC (p = 0.013), smaller size (p < 0.001), larger number (p < 0.001), and bilateral (p < 0.001) LM received chemotherapy. Univariate analysis showed that multiple LM and rectal lesions were poor prognostic factors for OS (p = 0.012) and DFS (p = 0.017) in surgical patients, and rectal lesions were a poor prognostic factor for OS (p = 0.013) in chemotherapy patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Pulmonary metastasectomy showed a favorable survival in patients with LM from CRC. Despite the high recurrence rate after metastasectomy and recent advances in chemotherapy, surgical resection could still be considered as a valid option among multidisciplinary treatments.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

The research plan was approved by the Institutional Review Board of Shinko Hospital (No. 2142) on February 7, 2022.

Long-term outcome following microwave ablation of lung metastases from colorectal cancer

Purpose

To retrospectively evaluate the safety and efficacy of percutaneous computed tomography (CT)-guided microwave ablation (MWA) in colorectal cancer (CRC) lung metastases, and to analyze prognostic factors.

Materials and methods

Data were collected from 31 patients with CRC lung metastases from May 2013 to September 2017. They had removed the CRC, no extrapulmonary metastases, no more than three metastases in the lung, the maximum diameter of the lesions was ≤3 cm, and all the lung metastases could be completely ablated. The ablation procedures were performed using a KY-2000 microwave multifunctional therapeutic apparatus. Efficacy is assessed two to four weeks after ablation, and follow-up are performed every three months for two years. The primary outcome was overall survival (OS). The secondary outcomes were progression-free survival (PFS), and complications. Cox regression analysis was used for the evaluation of the statistical significance of factors affecting the end result of MWA therapy. The Kaplan–Meier method was used for estimation of survival rates.

Results

A total of 45 metastatic lung lesions from CRC in 31 patients were treated with CT-guided MWA procedures. The median OS was 76 months. The one, two, three, and five-year survival rates were 93.5%, 80.6%, 61.3%, and 51.6%, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that the primary tumor from the rectum (P = 0.009) and liver metastases at the diagnosis of lung metastases (P = 0.043) were risk factors affecting OS, while PFS was a protective factor. The median PFS was 13 months. The maximum diameter of lung metastases lesions (P = 0.004) was a risk factor. The interval between pulmonary metastases and MWA (P=0.031) was the protective factor. Pneumothorax was observed in 13 out of 36 procedures. Four patients developed pneumothorax requiring drainage tube insertion. No patient deaths occurred within 30 days of ablation. Three out of 31 patients (9.67%) were found to have local recurrence of the original lung metastatic ablation foci.

Conclusion

MWA therapy may be safely and effectively used as a therapeutic tool for the treatment of selected CRC pulmonary metastases, and the prognosis is better in patients without liver metastases at the diagnosis of lung metastases.

The primary tumor location in colorectal cancer: A focused review on its impact on surgical management

The primary tumor location (PTL) has attracted increasing attention in recent years for colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Although the underlying mechanisms for differences caused by PTL remain still unclear, right-sided colon (RCC) and left-sided colon (LCC) are now considered as distinct entities because of their different molecular profile and clinical response to surgery and chemotherapy. In this article, we review the influence of PTL particularly on surgical management of primary and metastatic CRC settings. For nonmetastatic CRC, RCC could be a slightly superior prognostic factor after curative resection in stage I-II CRC, while RCC could be an inferior prognostic factor in stage III CRC with worse survival after recurrence, suggesting the oncological aggressiveness of recurrent RCC. For metastatic CRC, RCC could be a predictor of worse survival after hepatectomy of liver metastases from CRC with aggressive recurrence pattern and lower chance of re-resection. In lung metastases from CRC, the role of PTL still remains uncertain because of the limited number of studies. As to the impact of PTL on survival outcome after cytoreductive surgery plus hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy for peritoneal metastases from CRC, a discrepancy exists among studies and further investigation will be needed. The very simple clinical factor of PTL could provide important information for the prediction of the survival outcome after surgery in CRC. Further clinical and basic research will facilitate the clinical application of PTL in a more specified and personalized manner.

The primary tumor location in colorectal cancer: A focused review on its impact on surgical management

The primary tumor location (PTL) has attracted increasing attention in recent years for colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Although the underlying mechanisms for differences caused by PTL remain still unclear, right-sided colon (RCC) and left-sided colon (LCC) are now considered as distinct entities because of their different molecular profile and clinical response to surgery and chemotherapy. In this article, we review the influence of PTL particularly on surgical management of primary and metastatic CRC settings. For nonmetastatic CRC, RCC could be a slightly superior prognostic factor after curative resection in stage I-II CRC, while RCC could be an inferior prognostic factor in stage III CRC with worse survival after recurrence, suggesting the oncological aggressiveness of recurrent RCC. For metastatic CRC, RCC could be a predictor of worse survival after hepatectomy of liver metastases from CRC with aggressive recurrence pattern and lower chance of re-resection. In lung metastases from CRC, the role of PTL still remains uncertain because of the limited number of studies. As to the impact of PTL on survival outcome after cytoreductive surgery plus hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy for peritoneal metastases from CRC, a discrepancy exists among studies and further investigation will be needed. The very simple clinical factor of PTL could provide important information for the prediction of the survival outcome after surgery in CRC. Further clinical and basic research will facilitate the clinical application of PTL in a more specified and personalized manner.

Genetic differences between lung metastases and liver metastases from left-sided microsatellite stable colorectal cancer: next generation sequencing and clinical implications

BACKGROUND

Data regarding the clinical characteristics and outcomes of lung metastases (LuM) from colorectal cancer (CRC) are different from those of liver metastases (LiM) from CRC. However, little is known about the genetic features of LuM. This study aimed to identify the different genetic characteristics of LuM and LiM from left-sided microsatellite stable CRC.

METHODS

Tissue samples of the primary tumors and paired metastases from 18 CRC patients with isolated LuM (LuM cohort), 18 patients with isolated LiM (LiM cohort), and 10 locally advanced CRC patients without metastases (control cohort) were selected for next-generation sequencing. Patients in the LiM cohort had matched clinicopathological characteristics with the LuM cohort. The single-nucleotide variations (SNVs), copy number variations (CNVs), pathway alterations, and tumor mutation burdens (TMBs) were also calculated and analyzed.

RESULTS

The CNV results showed that ZFHX4, GATA2, and FAM131B amplifications were more common in the metastatic cohorts than in the control cohort, while RECQL4 and FLCN amplifications were common in the controls. The LuM cohort had significantly higher proportions of HNF4A, BRD4, and U2AF1 amplification. The LuM, LiM, and control cohorts were successfully separated using pathway alteration analysis. The LuM cohort had more frequent alterations in the RTK/RAS pathway, HIPPO pathway, KRAS, and MET than the LiM group. The LuM cohort also had relatively higher TMBs than the LiM cohort.

CONCLUSIONS

CNVs in primary tumors could identify patients with LuM. Targeting the HIPPO pathway or MET and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) combined with other agents might be novel therapies for LuM.

Colorectal adenocarcinoma patients with M1a diseases gain more clinical benefits from palliative primary tumor resection than those with M1b diseases: A propensity score matching analysis

BACKGROUND

Surgical resection is regarded as the only potentially curative treatment option for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC). The National Comprehensive Cancer Network clinical practice guidelines do not recommend palliative surgery unless there is a risk of severe symptoms. However, accumulating evidence has shown that palliative surgery is associated with more favorable outcomes for patients with metastatic CRC.

AIM

To investigate the separate role of palliative primary tumor resection for patients with stage IVA (M1a diseases) and stage IVB (M1b diseases) colorectal adenocarcinoma (CRA).

METHODS

CRA patients diagnosed from 2010 to 2015 with definite M1a and M1b categories according to the 8^th edition of American Joint Committee on Cancer staging system were selected from the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database. To minimize potential selection bias, the data were adjusted by propensity score matching (PSM). Baseline characteristics, including gender, year of diagnosis, age, marital status, primary site, surgical information, race, grade, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, were recorded and analyzed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to explore the separate role of palliative surgery for patients with M1a and M1b diseases.

RESULTS

A total of 19680 patients with metastatic CRA were collected from the SEER database, including 10399 cases of M1a diseases and 9281 cases of M1b diseases. Common independent prognostic factors for both M1a and M1b patients included year of diagnosis, age, race, marital status, primary site, grade, surgery, and chemotherapy. After PSM adjustment, 3732 and 3568 matched patients in the M1a and M1b groups were included, respectively. Patients receiving palliative primary tumor resection had longer survival time than those without surgery (P < 0.001). For patients with M1a diseases, palliative resection could increase the median survival time by 9 mo; for patients with M1b diseases, palliative resection could prolong the median survival time by 7 mo. For M1a diseases, patients with lung metastasis had more clinical benefit from palliative resection than those with liver metastasis (15 mo for lung metastasis vs 8 mo for liver metastasis, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

CRA patients with M1a diseases gain more clinical benefits from palliative primary tumor resection than those with M1b diseases. Those patients with M1a (lung metastasis) have superior long-term outcomes after palliative primary tumor resection.

Expert consensus on multidisciplinary therapy of colorectal cancer with lung metastases (2019 edition)

The lungs are the second most common site of metastasis for colorectal cancer (CRC) after the liver. Rectal cancer is associated with a higher incidence of lung metastases compared to colon cancer. In China, the proportion of rectal cancer cases is around 50%, much higher than that in Western countries (nearly 30%). However, there is no available consensus or guideline focusing on CRC with lung metastases. We conducted an extensive discussion and reached a consensus of management for lung metastases in CRC based on current research reports and the experts' clinical experiences and knowledge. This consensus provided detailed approaches of diagnosis and differential diagnosis and provided general guidelines for multidisciplinary therapy (MDT) of lung metastases. We also focused on recommendations of MDT management of synchronous lung metastases and initial metachronous lung metastases. This consensus might improve clinical practice of CRC with lung metastases in China and will encourage oncologists to conduct more clinical trials to obtain high-level evidences about managing lung metastases.

Survival Benefit of Palliative Local Treatments and Efficacy of Different Pharmacotherapies in Colorectal Cancer With Lung Metastasis: Results From a Large Retrospective Study

BACKGROUND

For most colorectal cancer patients with initial lung metastasis (LM), the only suitable treatments are palliative, including palliative local therapy and pharmacotherapy. We investigated the role of palliative local treatments in prolonging survival and the efficacy of different pharmacotherapies.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

After performing a medical record review of 2233 patients with metastatic colorectal cancer, 684 were identified as having LM. Their clinicopathologic characteristics, treatment patterns, and outcomes were analyzed retrospectively.

RESULTS

For nonresectable initial LM, patients receiving palliative local therapy had significantly longer median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) than those treated with pharmacotherapy alone: PFS 16.1 months versus 7.4 months (P < .001) and OS 51.8 months versus 23.8 months (P < .001), respectively. Cox multivariate analysis confirmed the survival benefit induced by palliative local therapy. Chemonaive patients receiving single-agent fluoropyrimidine had shorter PFS and longer OS compared to oxaliplatin- or irinotecan-based doublets when used as first-line treatment (PFS 4.8, 7.4, and 7.3 months; and OS 28.7, 21.2, and 20.1 months, respectively); however, these differences were not statistically significant. The addition of targeted agents to cytotoxic drugs prolonged PFS (10.5 vs. 7.2 months, P = .005) but not OS (27.8 vs. 21.2 months, P = .454). Carcinoembryonic antigen level, LM-associated symptoms, extrapulmonary disease, and histopathologic type were independent pretreatment prognostic factors.

CONCLUSION

Local treatments of LM may confer a survival benefit in the palliative setting. First-line single-agent fluoropyrimidine may be used in patients with good prognosis.

Repeat resection for recurrent pulmonary metastasis of colorectal cancer

PURPOSE

Resection of recurrent lung metastases from colorectal cancer is not completely investigated. We analyzed overall survival and prognosticators after metastasectomy.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed our database of 238 patients with lung metastases of colorectal cancer, undergoing metastasectomy with systematic lymph node dissection from 1999 to 2014. Lymph node metastases were found in 55 patients, and liver metastases were found in 79 patients.

RESULTS

The 5- and 10-year survival rates for all patients were 48 and 32%. Of the 238 patients included in the study, 101 developed recurrent lung metastases (42.4%). Recurrence had no impact on survival (p = 0.474). The 5- and 10-year survival rates from the beginning of recurrence for all patients with recurrence were 40 and 25%. Overall, 52 patients had been reoperated for recurrent lung metastases. 5-year survival for reoperated patients was 75% and significantly prolonged compared with nonreoperated patients (p < 0.001). Also, survival from beginning of recurrence was significantly longer (p < 0.001). Recurrence was more often detected in the case of multiple metastases (p = 0.002) and atypical resections (p = 0.029) at first metastasectomy. Lymph node metastases (p = 0.084) and liver metastases (p = 0.195) had no influence on recurrence. For reoperated patients, lower grading of the primary tumor was the only independent prognosticator for survival in multivariate analyses (p = 0.044).

CONCLUSION

Good long-term survival is achievable for patients with resectable recurrent lung metastases. Multiple metastases and atypical resection at first metastasectomy were associated with recurrent disease. Neither lymph node metastases nor liver metastases were significantly associated with recurrence. Lower grading of the primary tumor was the only independent prognosticator for survival. All in all, the factors that can be influenced by the surgeon are patient selection and R0 resection.

Colorectal cancer: Metastases to a single organ

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common malignancy worldwide. In CRC patients, metastases are the main cause of cancer-related mortality. In a group of metastatic CRC patients, the metastases are limited to a single site (solitary organ); the liver and lungs are the most commonly involved sites. When metastatic disease is limited to the liver and/or lungs, the resectability of the metastatic lesions will dictate the management approach and the outcome. Less commonly, the site of solitary organ CRC metastasis is the peritoneum. In these patients, cytoreduction followed by hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy may improve the outcome. Rarely, CRC involves other organs, such as the brain, bone, adrenals and spleen, as the only site of metastatic disease. There are limited data to guide clinical practice in these cases. Here, we have reviewed the disease characteristics, management approaches and prognosis based on the metastatic disease site in patients with CRC with metastases to a single organ.

Ablative and catheter-directed therapies for colorectal liver and lung metastases

Increasing data on treatment of liver metastases with locoregional therapies have solidified the expanding role of interventional radiologists (IRs) in the treatment of liver metastases from colorectal cancer. Ablative approaches such as radiofrequency ablation and microwave ablation have shown durable eradication of tumors. Catheter-directed therapies such as transarterial chemoembolization, drug-eluting beads, yttrium-90 radioembolization, and intra-arterial chemotherapy ports represent potential techniques for managing patients with unresectable liver metastases. Understanding the timing and role of these techniques in multidisciplinary care of patients is crucial. Implementation of IRs for consultation enables better integration of these therapies into patients' overall care.

Risk factors for lymph node metastases and prognosticators of survival in patients undergoing pulmonary metastasectomy for colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND

Systematic lymph node dissection is not routinely performed in patients undergoing pulmonary metastasectomy (PM) of colorectal cancer. The aim of the study was to identify risk factors for lymph node metastases (LNM) and to determine prognosticators for survival in colorectal cancer patients with pulmonary metastases.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed our prospective database of 165 patients with colorectal cancer undergoing PM and systematic lymph node dissection with curative intent from 1999 to 2009. The χ(2) test, regression analyses, Kaplan-Meier analyses, log rank tests, and Cox regression analyses were used to determine prognosticators for LNM and survival.

RESULTS

The prevalence of LNM was 22.4%. Lymph node metastases were more often detected in case of rectal cancer and if anatomic resections in term of segmentectomy or lobectomy had to be performed for PM. The number of pulmonary metastases showed a nonlinear association with the risk of positive postoperative LNM. For 1 to 10 pulmonary metastases, each additional pulmonary metastasis conferred a 16% increase in risk for LNM. Rectal cancer, M-status of the primary tumor, number of pulmonary metastases, and disease progression during pre-PM chemotherapy were independent prognosticators for survival. Lymph node metastases were not an independent prognosticator.

CONCLUSIONS

Rectal cancer, required anatomic resections, and multiple metastases were risk factors for LNM. Rectal cancer, M-status of the primary tumor, number of pulmonary metastasis, and disease progression during pre-PM chemotherapy were independent negative predictors of survival, stratifying patients with poor prognosis who may benefit from chemotherapy before or after PM.

Pulmonary Metastasectomy in Colorectal Cancer (PulMiCC International)

SUMMARY Pulmonary Metastasectomy in Colorectal Cancer (PulMiCC) is a randomized controlled trial. Patients with resected colorectal cancer found to have one or more pulmonary metastases are randomized to have a metastasectomy or not. Both arms include active monitoring. Patients considered possible candidates for pulmonary metastasectomy are asked to first give consent to be assessed according to protocol after which a decision to have or not have metastasectomy may be made. If there is uncertainty, patients are invited to consent to randomization, including minimization for known prognostic factors: the number of metastases, the interval since primary resection, carcinoembryonic antigen levels and the TNM stage of the primary cancer. The primary outcomes are survival and quality of life. The trial is open in England, and in Serbia and Italy as PulMiCC International.

Treatment of pulmonary colorectal metastases by radiofrequency ablation

We evaluated the local tumor control and the survival benefit achieved with radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for nonoperable lung metastases in 45 patients with colorectal cancer. Median survival from the time of RFA was 46 months. One-, 2- and 3-year local tumor progression (LTP)-free survival rates were 92%, 77%, and 77%, respectively. RFA offers very good local control in patients with pulmonary metastases from colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND

Radiofrequency ablation has emerged as a potential, lung function-preserving treatment of colorectal lung metastases.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Forty-five patients with colorectal pulmonary metastases underwent computed tomography-guided RFA from December 2004 to June 2010. A baseline posttreatment scan was obtained 4-6 weeks after RFA and follow-up imaging studies every 3 months thereafter were obtained and compared to evaluate the tumor progression at site of ablation or elsewhere. The primary end points were LTP-free survival and overall survival from RFA procedure. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze the end points. A Cox proportional hazard model with robust inference was used to estimate the associations between baseline factors and survival end points.

RESULTS

Sixty-nine metastases were ablated in 45 patients. Tumor size ranged from 0.4 to 3.5 cm. The median number of metastases ablated per patient was 1 (range, 1-3). Median follow-up after RFA was 18 months. Median survival from the time of RFA was 46 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 27.8-47.3). One-, 2- and 3-year overall survival rates from the time of RFA were 95% (95% CI, 82%-99%), 72% (95% CI, 52%-85%), and 50% (95% CI, 26%-71%), respectively. Nine of 69 lesions (13%) progressed and 4 were retreated with no progression after second RFA. Median time to progression was not reached. LTP-free survival from RFA was 92% (95% CI, 82%-97%) at 1 year, 77% (95% CI, 58%-88%) at 2 years, and 77% (95% CI, 58%-88%) at 3 years.

CONCLUSION

Radiofrequency ablation of lung metastases is an effective minimally invasive, parenchymal-sparing technique that has very good local control rates in patients with pulmonary metastases from colorectal cancer, with LTP-free survival of 77% at 3 years.

Optimal management of pulmonary metastases from colorectal cancer

The incidence of colorectal cancers is rising worldwide and pulmonary metastases were seen in approximately 10-15% of all patients. Surgical metastasectomy is a widely accepted procedure in selected patients and is considered as the only curative option in patients with secondary pulmonary malignancy. But surgical resection remains controversial due to the lack of randomized trials, comparing pulmonary metastasectomy to control, either medical therapy, or observation. This article will discuss the differentiated therapeutic strategies for patients with pulmonary metastases of colorectal cancer, focusing on surgical resection, patient evaluation, prognostic factors, interdisciplinary therapeutic approaches and current trials.