INITIAL EXPERIENCE WITH THE USE OF PREOPERATIVE TRANSARTERIAL CHEMOEMBOLIZATION IN THE TREATMENT OF LIVER METASTASIS

We retrospectively evaluated the influence of preoperative Transarteri al Chemoembolizaticn (TAE) on technique and complications, tumour hist ology, and disease-free survival after surgery for hepatic metastasis. In a 2-year period, a total of 23 patients were treated. In a first g roup of 14 patients, preoperative TAE was performed; in a second group of 9 patients only surgical resection was done. Extensive tumour necr osis 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 requir ement 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 survivo rs. In the second group, however, mortality was 33% after a median fol low-up of 17,5 months (SD : 10), and recurrence was present in 66,7% o f 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.