Step 1: The gross specimen shows multiple discrete tumor masses studding the liver, which is the classic picture of metastatic deposits rather than a single primary tumor.
Step 2: The liver is the commonest site of metastasis for tumors that drain first into the portal circulation. The colon and rectum drain through the portal vein, so a colonic adenocarcinoma readily seeds the liver.
Step 3: Metastatic liver disease is found in about 10% to 25% of patients undergoing surgery for primary colorectal cancer, making option 3 the best fit.
Step 4: Angiosarcoma (a primary vascular tumor) and hepatocellular carcinoma (a single locally invasive mass) do not produce this multinodular metastatic pattern, and "metastasis from PE" is not a recognized entity, so they are wrong.