The histopathologic report of surgically resected colorectal liver metastases: What is clinically relevant?

Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) is one of the most common malignancies and a major cause of cancer-related death worldwide. The liver is the most frequent site of metastatic spread, so that about half of the patients with CRC have or develop liver metastases (LM) during the clinical course of the disease. Colorectal LM can potentially be cured by surgery, but most patients still experience disease progression and recurrence after the surgical treatment. Prediction of a patient's post-surgical clinical course is mainly based on clinical parameters or the histopathological features of the primary tumor, while little attention is given to the pathological characteristics of the LM. In this paper, we review the prognostic relevance of the gross and microscopic pathological features observed in surgically resected LM and propose which information should be included in the histopathological report to guide surgeons and oncologists for the subsequent therapeutic management.