title: Does adjuvant radiotherapy suppress liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the influence of the adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) on the liver regeneration and liver function after partial hepatectomy (PH).
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-four patients who underwent PH for biliary tract cancer between October 2003 and July 2005 were reviewed. Hemihepatectomy was performed in 14 patients and less extensive surgery in 20. Of the patients, 19 patients had no adjuvant therapy (non-RT group) and 15 underwent adjuvant RT by a three-dimensional conformal technique (RT group). Radiation dose range was 40 to 50 Gy (median, 40 Gy). Liver volume on computed tomography and the results of liver function tests at 1, 4, 12, 24, and 52 weeks after PH were compared between the RT and non-RT groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The preoperative characteristics were identical for both groups. During the interval between Weeks 4 and 12 when adjuvant RT was delivered in the RT group, the increase in liver volume was significantly smaller in the RT group than non-RT group (22.9 +/- 38.3cm(3) and 81.5 +/- 75.6cm(3), respectively, p = 0.007). However, the final liver volume measured at 1 year after PH did not differ between the two groups (p = 0.878). Liver function tests were comparable for both groups. The resection extent and original liver volume was independent factors for final liver volume measured at 1 year after PH.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this study, adjuvant RT delayed the liver regeneration process after PH, but the volume difference between the two study groups became nonsignificant after 1 year. Adjuvant RT had no additional adverse effect on liver function after PH.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jin-Hwa
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Kyubo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Eui Kyu
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Chie
authors.forename: Jin-Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: Sun Whe
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Do-Youn
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Seock-Ah
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Im
authors.forename: Tae-You
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Yung-Jue
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Bang
authors.forename: Sung W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Ha
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D001661:Biliary Tract Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006498:Hepatectomy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008115:Liver Regeneration / Q000528:radiation effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009929:Organ Size / Q000528:radiation effects; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant / Q000009:adverse effects; D020266:Radiotherapy, Conformal / Q000379:methods; D047368:Tumor Burden
chemical_list: D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase