Initial experience with the use of preoperative transarterial chemoembolization in the treatment of liver metastasis

Abstract

We retrospectively evaluated the influence of preoperative Transarterial Chemoembolization (TAE) on technique and complications, tumour histology, and disease-free survival after surgery for hepatic metastasis. In a 2-year period, a total of 23 patients were treated. In a first group of 14 patients, preoperative TAE was performed; in a second group of 9 patients only surgical resection was done. Extensive tumour necrosis was seen in the majority of patients treated with TAE; in tumours with an important fibrotic component, embolization was less effective. No significant effect was seen on operating time, transfusion requirement or perioperative complication rate. In the group of patients who underwent TAE, survival rate was 93% after a mean follow-up period of 15.5 months (SD: 12.5); recurrence was seen in only 8% of the survivors. In the second group, however, mortality was 33% after a median follow-up of 17.5 months (SD: 10), and recurrence was present in 66.7% of the survivors. These results indicate that preoperative TAE reduces the recurrence rate in the first postoperative year. Thereby survival may be improved in patients with resectable metastatic liver cancer.