Analysis of survival and clinicopathological characteristics in patients after liver resection for colorectal liver metastases according to resection margin.

Abstract

Criteria for resectability of colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) have been expanded over the last decade along with the improvement in chemotherapy. Analyze the differences in several clinicopathological characteristics and overall survival (OS) between patients who underwent an R0 (tumour margin > 1 mm) or R1 (margin < 1 mm) resection. Retrospective study including 144 patients with CRLM who underwent a potentially curative liver surgery between 2010 and 2018. Patients are classified according to their surgical margin status (R0 or R1). OS and 17 clinicopathological variables are compared. Both groups are similar and comparable in all the studied variables: age (p = 0.158), sex (p = 0.675), ASA (p = 0.502), tumour location (p = 0.793), tumoral stadium (p = 0.280), post-colectomy chemotherapy (p = 0.664), CRLM synchronicity (p = 0.983) and location (p = 0.078), CEA at diagnosis (p = 0.735), neoadjuvant chemotherapy (p = 0.403), minor/major hepatectomy (p = 0.415), post-operatory complications (p = 0.822) and mortality (p = 0.535), average hospital stay (p = 0.960), post-operative chemotherapy (p = 0.791) and re-hepatectomy (p = 0.530). No significant differences are found in OS a 1, 3 and 5 years (p = 0.160) between patients with R0 and R1 resection. We consider indicated hepatectomy in any patient with resectable CRLM in whom an R0 resection can be achieved maintaining an adequate hepatic reserve, regardless of the final microscopic resection margin status.