Effect of preoperative chemotherapy on liver resection for colorectal liver metastases

Abstract Aim To compare the effects of preoperative chemotherapy on liver parenchyma morphology, as well as morbidity and mortality after liver resection for colorectal liver metastases. Methods Prospectively collected data on 173 patients undergoing liver resection for CLM between 1/2003 and 9/2005 was analysed in three groups: A: preoperative oxaliplatin (Ox, n  = 70); B: other chemotherapeutic agents (OC, n  = 60); and C: surgery alone without chemotherapy (SA, n  = 43). Blood transfusion, hospital stay, operative procedure, peak postoperative bilirubin levels, complications and histopathology of the resected liver were compared. Results Intra-operative blood transfusion requirement (34%) and biliary complications (16%) was higher in patients receiving oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy ( p  = 0.01 and p  = 0.06, respectively). Oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy was also associated with sinusoidal dilatation of mild grade in 52.8% vs. 26.6% and 23.3% patients ( p  = 0.007 and p  = 0.004) in other groups, respectively. Steatosis was similarly distributed across the study group. Postoperative mortality was 2, 1 and 4 patients, respectively ( p  = ns). Conclusion Oxaliplatin-based preoperative chemotherapy is associated with vascular alterations in the liver parenchyma without significantly increasing the risk of steatosis, or postoperative morbidity and mortality.