Background: Surgical resection remains the most effective therapy for metastatic colorectal cancer confined to the liver, although the extrahepatic recurrence rate is high. Aim of the study: To develop a mammal model in order to investigate by which mechanisms liver surgery affects distant tumour recurrence. Methods: In this animal study the effect of partial hepatectomy (phX) on the development of tumour noduli in the lungs was evaluated. CC531 rat colon carcinoma cells were inoculated i.v. 24 h before, during or 24 h after surgery. Rat serum was obtained at different time-points after phX and added to in vitro CC531 cell cultures. Finally, phX was compared with an ileum resection (ilX). Results: phX leads to increased tumour noduli in the lungs, compared to Sham operation (p = 0.002), but only when performed directly before the injection of tumour cells and not when performed 24 h before or after the inoculation. Comparable results were obtained for ilX. No growth stimulation of tumour cells after incubation with rat serum, obtained at different time-points after phX, could be detected in vitro. Conclusion: Not only phX, but also surgery, in general promotes distant tumour recurrence exerting the effect during the early phase of tumour cell adhesion and not during tumour outgrowth.

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doi.org/10.1016/j.ejso.2007.02.035, hdl.handle.net/1765/29790
European Journal of Surgical Oncology
Erasmus MC: University Medical Center Rotterdam

Aalbers, A., ten Kate, M., van Grevenstein, H., Hofland, L., Wiemer, E., Jeekel, H., & van Eijck, C. (2008). A small mammal model of tumour implantation, dissemination and growth factor expression after partial hepatectomy. European Journal of Surgical Oncology, 34(4), 469–475. doi:10.1016/j.ejso.2007.02.035