Hepatectomy after hepatic arterial therapy with either yttrium-90 or drug-eluting bead chemotherapy: is it safe?

BACKGROUND

The use of hepatic arterial therapy (HAT) with either yttrium-90 or drug-eluting bead therapy for initially unresectable hepatic malignancies has risen significantly. The safety of hepatic resection after hepatic arterial therapy (HAT) is not established.

OBJECTIVE

The present study evaluates the safety profile for hepatic resection after HAT.

METHODS

We identified 840 patients undergoing hepatectomy for primary or metastatic lesions. Forty patients underwent HAT before hepatectomy (pre-HAT). A 1:4 case-matched analysis compared three groups: (i) pre-HAT and pre-operative chemotherapy (n=40); (ii) pre-operative chemotherapy (n=160); and (iii) no pre-operative therapy (n=640). Controls were matched for age, resection type, maximal tumour size and magnitude of resection. Morbidity and mortality among groups were compared using a graded complication scale.

RESULTS

There were no differences in post-operative complications, grade of complication or liver-specific complications among the groups. A proportional hazards model for all patients did not demonstrate any association between increased complications and either pre-HAT or pre-operative chemotherapy when compared with patients without pre-operative therapy (P=0.7).

CONCLUSIONS

Pre-HAT demonstrated similar morbidity, liver-specific morbidity and intra-operative complications when compared with patients undergoing pre-operative chemotherapy alone or without pre-operative chemotherapy. These results suggest that pre-HAT is safe and should not preclude hepatectomy in carefully selected patients.