Bevacizumab treatment before resection of colorectal liver metastases: safety, recovery of liver function, pathologic assessment

Patients with metastatic colorectal cancer receive chemotherapy prior liver resection more and more frequently. This preoperative treatment has many effects which have to be analysed, like the safety of liver resection, toxicity, tissue regeneration, radiological and pathological response and survival data. The aim of the study was to evaluate the safety of bevacizumab containing preoperative chemotherapy and functional recovery of the liver after resection for colorectal liver metastases (CLM) and to analyse radiological and pathological data. Data of three groups of 120 consecutive patients-(1) CTX + BV: cytotoxic chemotherapy + bevacizumab, (2) CTX: cytotoxic chemotherapy, (3) NC: no treatment before liver resection-were analysed. Postoperative liver function and complications were compared, clinical, radiological and pathological data were evaluated. Between 01.12.2006 and 31.12.2010 41 resections was performed after chemotherapy + bevacizumab (CTX + BV) and 27 resections was performed after preoperative chemotherapy without bevacizumab (CTX). There were 60 hepatic resections in this period without neoadjuvant treatment (NC). 8 patients had repeated resections. The postoperative complication rate was 40 % but there was no statistical difference between the groups (P = 0.72). Only the type of resection was associated with a significantly higher complication rate (p = 0.03). The subgroup of patients, who received irinotecan had a higher complication rate in the CTX group than in the BV + CTX group (55 % vs 41 %). Preoperative administration of bevacizumab was associated with higher peak postoperative AST, ALT levels but did not affect functional recovery of the liver. The RECIST system was not able to predict the outcome after chemotherapy in every patient and in many cases this system overestimated the effect of chemotherapy. On histopathological examination the presence of necrosis was not associated with chemotherapy or pathological response. Use of chemotherapy before hepatic resection of CLM was not associated with a significant increase in complication rates. The functional recovery of the liver was not affected by the preoperative administration of chemotherapy. The use of combined neoadjuvant chemotherapy is safe before hepatic resection.