title: Dearterialization of colorectal liver cancer: institutional experience.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Preliminary clinical trials have suggested that dearterialization (interruption of arterial blood supply) is beneficial to patients with liver tumours. The aim of this report was to review the outcome of all patients undergoing dearterialization for colorectal liver metastases and to analyze whether refinement of the technique was followed by improvement in outcome.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective review of 57 patients undergoing temporary (16 h) dearterialization during 1972-1984 (n = 24) or repeated transient dearterialization (1-2 h once or twice daily) during 1985-1995 (n = 33).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median survival after start of treatment was 1.1 years, and the 5-year survival rate was 0%. There was no significant difference in survival between temporary and repeated transient dearterialization. Liver tumour volume and extrahepatic metastases varied negatively with survival. The temporary dearterialization procedure was followed by hepatic or intra-abdominal abscess formation in 6 patients (24%), leading to postoperative death in 2 patients (operative mortality 8%). Complications after repeated transient dearterialization were related mainly to technical problems with the occluder device.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although this was not a randomized study, it appears that dearterialization is of no benefit in colorectal liver cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ohlsson
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lindell
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lundstedt
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jeppsson
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Persson
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bengmark
authors.forename: K G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Tranberg
mesh_terms: D002404:Catheterization; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate