Surgical therapies in metastatic colorectal cancer with a potential for cure.

Metastatic colorectal cancer has evolved from a paradigm that was previously centered upon the use of systemic chemotherapy to one of multimodality therapy. Hepatectomy, pulmonary metastasectomy, and cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy are surgical procedures that are now routinely performed in specialized institutions treating patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. Emerging evidence suggests that in selected patients, these procedures are safe and may be beneficial in contributing to long-term survival.