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Complete pathological response of colorectal liver metastases after chemotherapy and bevacizumab treatment: a case report

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Abstract

The vast majority of colorectal cancer patients who present with liver metastases are not initially candidates for hepatic resection. Although the combination of systemic chemotherapy and liver surgery can convert a significant proportion of patients from a palliative situation to a potentially curative situation, the majority of initially unresectable liver metastases do not respond sufficiently to initial chemotherapy to become resectable. More recently the addition of biologic agents (bevacizumab or cetuximab) to cytotoxic chemotherapy has increased the rate of tumor response, suggesting that the addition of these agents could improve resectability rate. Here we report the clinical case of a complete pathological response (pCR) in a 67-year-old male affected by metastatic colorectal cancer, with initially unresectable liver metastases, after treatment with chemotherapy and bevacizumab.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division Of Medical Oncology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine and Surgery, Second University of Naples, Via Pansini #5, Naples, Italy

    F. Vitiello, V. Ricci, E. Martinelli, M. Orditura, F. DeVita & F. Ciardiello

  2. Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine and Surgery, Second University of Naples, Via Pansini #5, Naples, Italy

    G. Galizia

Authors
  1. F. Vitiello
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  2. V. Ricci
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  3. E. Martinelli
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  4. M. Orditura
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  5. F. DeVita
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  6. G. Galizia
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  7. F. Ciardiello
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Correspondence to E. Martinelli.

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Vitiello, F., Ricci, V., Martinelli, E. et al. Complete pathological response of colorectal liver metastases after chemotherapy and bevacizumab treatment: a case report. Targ Oncol 3, 253–258 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11523-008-0094-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11523-008-0094-5

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