Treatment of Stage IV and Recurrent Colon Cancer

Treatment of stage IV colon cancer, recurrent colon cancer, and liver metastasis may include:

• local excision for tumors that have recurred
• resection with or without anastomosis
• surgery to remove parts of other organs, such as the liver, lungs, and ovaries, where the cancer may have recurred or spread

• radiation therapy or chemotherapy, as palliative therapy to relieve symptoms and improve quality of life
• chemotherapy with or without targeted therapy (, , , , , or )
• targeted therapy with and cetuximab in patients with a certain change in the BRAF gene
• targeted therapy with panitumumab in patients with a certain change in the KRAS gene
• immunotherapy ( or , or nivolumab and combined)
• clinical trials of chemotherapy and/or targeted therapy

Treatment of cancer that has spread to the liver may also include:

• chemotherapy given before surgery to shrink the tumor, after surgery, or both before and after
• radiofrequency ablation or cryosurgery, for patients who cannot have surgery
• chemoembolization of the hepatic artery

Learn more about these treatments in the Treatment Option Overview.

Use our clinical trial search to find NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are accepting patients. You can search for trials based on the type of cancer, the age of the patient, and where the trials are being done. General information about clinical trials is also available.