Colorectal cancer liver metastases: immune environment and therapeutic perspectives

Colorectal cancer is one of the most prevalent malignant tumors, and liver metastasis is the main cause of its poor prognosis. Although many therapies for colorectal cancer are available, most of them are much less effective after liver metastasis occurs. Since the complex tumor environment in the liver is crucial for the formation of pre-metastatic ecological niche and for the colonization and metastasis of colorectal cancer, further study of the mechanism of colorectal cancer liver metastasis and the immune microenvironment should be helpful to find new therapeutic methods. This review explores the role of various cells in the hepatic immune microenvironment in different stages of early colorectal cancer liver metastasis, evaluates current treatment strategies, and provides new insights for therapeutic approaches targeting the immune microenvironment.