Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 21, 2026
The Influence of Liver Resection on Intrahepatic Tumor Growth
Published on: April 9, 2016
Hypertrophy of the non-embolized liver after chemotherapy
Otmane Nafidi1, Delphine Désy, Richard Létourneau
1Department of Surgery, Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM)-Hôpital St-Luc, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Background:
Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NC(+)) and portal vein embolization (PVE) enables curative resection in more patients with colorectal-liver metastases (CRLM). However, after NC(+), structural alterations have been reported with the risk of post-operative hepatic failure. We undertook to determine if NC(+) toxicity limits future remnant liver (FRL) hypertrophy after PVE.
Methods:
PVE was performed in 20 patients, 13 (65%) of whom previously received a mean FOLFIRI (5-fluorouracil + leucovorin + irinotecan) regimen (NC(+)) of 6.6 cycles. The seven remaining patients served as the control group without NC (NC(-)).
Results:
CRLM were bilateral in 69% (NC(+)) and 57% (NC(-)), and synchronous in 84% (NC(+)) and 14% (NC(-)). The FRL hypertrophy rate was 54.1% (NC(+)) and 43.7% (NC(-)) (P= 0.3). CRLM were unresectable in four of our 20 patients, i.e. group NC(+): one insufficient FRL hypertrophy and one severe steatosis; and group NC(-): two tumoral progressions. In both groups, the operative parameters were comparable except for pedicular clamping: 8 (NC(+)) and 36 min (NC(-)), respectively (P < 0.05). Also, the surgical outcome rate and hospital stay were comparable. No significant pathological difference was observed between the two groups. No mortality occurred in either group.
Conclusion:
In view of our limited experience, we conclude that hypertrophy of the non-embolized liver (FRL) is not altered after FOLFIRI-based NC.
