Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41369813›Full record

Trial reportAnnals of surgical oncology2026

Hepatectomy Plus Chemotherapy or Chemotherapy Alone for Resectable Liver and Unresectable Lung Metastases from Colorectal Adenocarcinoma (LUNA): A Randomized Phase II Trial.

Ian W Folkert, Reza Mehran, Ryan Sun, Van K Morris, Michael J Overman, Bryan Kee, Mara B Antonoff, Ching-Wei Tzeng, Arvind Dasari, Hop Tran Cao and 8 more

Abstract readClinical Trial, Phase IIRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Annals of surgical oncology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

18 authors.

Ian W FolkertDepartment of Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Reza MehranDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Ryan SunDepartment of Biostatistics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Van K MorrisDepartment of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Michael J OvermanDepartment of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Bryan KeeDepartment of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Mara B AntonoffDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Ching-Wei TzengDepartment of Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Arvind DasariDepartment of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Hop Tran CaoDepartment of Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Christine M ParseghianDepartment of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Eduardo VilarDepartment of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Jason WillisDepartment of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Timothy E NewhookDepartment of Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Wayne HofstetterDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Scott E KopetzDepartment of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Jean-Nicolas VautheyDepartment of Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Yun Shin ChunDepartment of Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA. yschun@mdanderson.org.

Funding

Tumor Evolution and Metastasis ProgramP30CA016672 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF TX MD ANDERSON CAN CTR · PI DIANE BODURKA · 1985 to 2026
$290.8M
NCI NIH HHS P30 CA016672
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHepatectomy for isolated colorectal liver metastases is associated with 5 year overall survival (OS) of 58% and is accepted as standard of care. However, the role of liver resection with unresectable low-volume lung metastases is unknown. LUNA was a phase II randomized trial designed to study the survival benefit of hepatectomy with unresectable lung metastases.

methodsAfter stratification by KRAS status and primary tumor in the colon versus rectum, patients were randomized 1:1 to hepatectomy plus chemotherapy or chemotherapy alone. The primary endpoint was 3 year OS. Slow accrual led to early trial closure.

resultsIn total, 29 patients were enrolled and 27 randomized to either the experimental hepatectomy group (n=10) or the control group of chemotherapy alone (n=17), comprising the intention-to-treat population. Three patients in the chemotherapy group crossed over to surgery, and five in the hepatectomy group crossed over to standard treatment. Thus, the as-treated population comprised eight patients who underwent surgery and 19 who were treated with chemotherapy alone. Intention-to-treat analysis demonstrated 3-year OS of 30% (95% confidence interval [CI] 12‒77) and 34% (95% CI 17-67) in the surgery and control arms, respectively (p=0.53). In the as-treated analysis, hepatectomy was associated with significantly higher 3 year OS than chemotherapy alone (75% [95% CI 50-100] vs 16% [95% CI 6-45], p = 0.001).

conclusionsLUNA is the first randomized study to evaluate the potential benefit of hepatectomy for patients with colorectal cancer with resectable liver and unresectable low-volume lung metastases. The trial was closed early and did not meet the primary endpoint. Findings from the as-treated analysis may warrant validation in a larger, multicenter cohort.

Indexed as

AdenocarcinomaAntineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy ProtocolsColorectal NeoplasmsHepatectomyLiver NeoplasmsLung NeoplasmsAdultAgedCombined Modality TherapyFemaleFluorouracilFollow-Up StudiesHumansLeucovorinMaleMiddle AgedFluorouracilLeucovorinColorectal liver metastasesHepatectomyLung metastases

Identifiers

PMID41369813

What OpenQuestion holds

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.