Minimally invasive treatment for liver and lung metastases in colorectal cancer

doi:10.1136/bmj.39184.565532.80

BMJ 2007;334:1056-1057 (19 May), doi:10.1136/bmj.39184.565532.80

Practice

Rational imaging

Minimally invasive treatment for liver and lung metastases in colorectal cancer

Alice Gillams, senior lecturer, honorary consultant

The Royal Free and UCL Medical School and UCLH, London WCIE 6BT

Correspondence to: A Gillams, Special Xray, UCH, London NW1 2BU a.gillams@medphys.ucl.ac.uk

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

The patient

A 59 year old woman had an anterior resection for primary Dukes'sC rectal carcinoma in 2004 followed by adjuvant chemotherapy.Two years later, on routine computed tomography surveillance,she was found to have liver (fig 1

) and lung (fig 2

) metastases.

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Fig 1 Axial computed tomography of the liver showing two irregular hypoattenuating mass lesions, 4.0 cm and 4.3 cm in diameter (arrows). This is the typical appearance of colorectal liver metastases

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Fig 2 Axial computed tomography section through the lung showing a 3.8 cm tumour in the right upper lobe (arrow)

Imaging for surveillance after resection of primary colorectal cancer

Surveillance is indicated in patients with Dukes's B or Dukes'sC colorectal carcinoma who are potential candidates for furthertherapeutic intervention. The optimal surveillance strategyis a matter of debate.¹ ² ³ An ongoing trial (FACS) is lookingat the cost effectiveness of intensive follow-up or no follow-upin patients with successfully resected colorectal cancer (www.facs.soton.ac.uk/. . . [Full text of this article]