Clinical Scoring Systems for Colorectal Cancer Liver Metastases

Resection of colorectal liver metastases is considered a safe and effective treatment. As technical hurdles related to the extent of resection and its relationship to perioperative morbidity and mortality are surmounted, determining which candidates for surgery will derive the most benefit becomes more challenging. Clinical scoring systems for colorectal liver metastases were initially devised to help determine the tipping point between survival advantage and risk of surgery for individual patients. The goal was to identify a combination of factors that predicted which patients could achieve long-term survival meriting the invasiveness of the procedure, while also identifying those best suited for additional studies, to aid in clinical decision-making for adjuvant therapy and in consideration for clinical trials. They would further provide prognostic information for the patient.