N. Kokudo et al., Proliferative activity of intrahepatic colorectal metastases after preoperative hemihepatic portal vein embolization, HEPATOLOGY, 34(2), 2001, pp. 267-272
Although hemihepatic portal vein embolization (PVE) has been used preoperat
ively to extend indications for hepatectomy in patients with colorectal met
astases, the effects of this procedure on tumor growth and outcome remain c
ontroversial. To address this issue, we assessed the proliferative activity
of intrahepatic metastases after PVE and the long-term outcome of this pro
cedure. Eighteen patients with colorectal metastases underwent preoperative
PVE between 1996 and 2000 (PVE group). Twenty-nine patients who underwent
major hepatic resection without PVE served as control (non-PVE group). The
hepatic parenchymal fraction of the left lobe had significantly increased f
rom 38.1 +/- 3.2% to 45.9 +/- 2.9% 3 weeks after PVE (+20.5%, P < .0001). T
umor volume and percent tumor volume had also significantly increased from
223 +/- 89 mL to 270 +/- 97 mL (+20.8%, P = .016) and from 13.7 +/- 4.3% to
16.2 +/- 4.9% (+18.5%, P = .014), respectively. There was no apparent corr
elation between the increase in parenchymal volume and that in tumor volume
. The Ki-67 labeling index of metastatic lesions was 46.6 +/- 7.2% in the P
VE group and 35.4 +/- 12.6% in the non-PVE group (P = .013). Long-term surv
ival was similar in the PVE and non-PVE groups, however, disease-free survi
val was significantly poorer in the PVE group than in the non-PVE group (P
= .004). We conclude that PVE increases tumor growth and probably is associ
ated with enhanced recurrence of disease. Although PVE is effective in exte
nding indications for surgery, patient selection for PVE should be cautious
.