title: A systematic review and meta-analysis to reappraise the role of adjuvant hepatic arterial infusion for colorectal cancer liver metastases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The potential benefit of adjuvant hepatic arterial infusion remains unknown for patients with colorectal liver metastases after radical hepatic resection. The principle aim of this study was to investigate the long-term outcome of adjuvant hepatic arterial infusion.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eligible trials were identified from Embase, PubMed, the Web of Science, and the Cochrane library since their inception to June 1, 2014. Patients with colorectal liver metastases, who underwent radical hepatic resection and received adjuvant hepatic arterial infusion, were enrolled. The study outcomes included 5-year disease-free and overall survival rate, respectively. Hazard ratio with a 95 % confidence interval was used to measure the pooled effect according to a random effects model or fixed effects model, depending on the heterogeneity between the included studies. The statistical heterogeneity between trials was detected by I (2) test. Sensitivity analyses were also carried out.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of nine studies containing 1057 patients were included. The comparison indicated that the overall pooled hazard ratio for 5-year overall survival was 0.75 (95 % CI: 0.56-0.99, p = 0.048). The hazard ratio for 5-year disease-free survival rate was 0.61 (95 % CI: 0.48-0.79, p = 0.001). When compared with systemic chemotherapy alone, adjuvant hepatic arterial infusion plus systemic chemotherapy also improved the long-term survival.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adjuvant hepatic arterial infusion improved the 5-year disease-free and overall survival rate, respectively. It should be recommended for patients with a high risk of recurrence, but these findings require prospective confirmation.
authors.affiliation: Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery Department I, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research, Ministry of Education, Beijing Cancer Hospital and Institute, Peking University School of Oncology, No. 52, Fu-Cheng-Lu Street, Beijing, 100142, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Qing-Kun
authors.initials: QK
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Bao-Cai
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Xing
mesh_terms: D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D006499:Hepatic Artery / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007261:Infusions, Intra-Arterial / Q000009:adverse effects; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary*; D017594:Publication Bias