Colorectal cancer has four main stages of progression, according to the New York Times Health Guide. Stage four colorectal cancer is also called the metastasized stage. By the time the cancer has reached this advanced stage, the disease has affected other areas such as the liver. Even when the cancer has spread to the liver during this advanced stage, there are treatment options available.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is a typical method of treating colorectal cancer that has spread to the liver, notes the American Cancer Society. Chemotherapy is especially effective in decreasing the size of the tumors in the affected areas. This form of chemotherapy is called systemic chemotherapy because it is meant to affect the entire body instead of only the affected areas, notes MedlinePlus from the National Institutes of Health. The chemotherapy is sometimes administered directly to the liver intravenously via arteries connecting to the liver, explains the New York Times Health Guide.
Embolization
Embolization is an effective form of treatment for colorectal cancer that has affected the liver, notes MedlinePlus. This form of treatment involves preventing blood from nourishing the tumor affecting the liver. Keeping blood from flowing to the tumorous areas of the liver effectively denies the cancer nourishment, thus decreasing the size of the tumor. Embolization is not as invasive as surgery and may be highly effective in treating this form of cancer. However, the precise effectiveness of this treatment may depend on the spread and extent of the metastasis.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy, in which a machine delivers a targeted beam of radiation to the cancerous area, can be an effective form of treatment for colorectal cancer that has metastasized to the liver, according to the New York Times Health Guide. Radiation therapy may sometimes be used in tandem with chemotherapy in order to reduce the size the tumor. Radiation therapy can be very effective in shrinking the tumor and potentially relieving the symptoms associated with this advanced stage of cancer, but it is unlikely to result in a cure.
Surgery
Surgery is a common form of treatment for colorectal cancer that has affected the liver, notes the American Cancer Society. If the size of the tumor makes surgery excessively difficult, then other treatments may be required to reduce the size of the tumor before surgery, explains the New York Times Health Guide. The extent of the surgery varies depending on the scope of the affected area. However, colorectal cancer at this advanced stage may require the removal of an area slightly larger than the affected area to reduce the possibility of recurrence, notes the American Cancer Society.
