DRAGON 1- Training, Accreditation, Implementation and Safety Evaluation of Combined PVE/HVE

Detailed Description: Resection of liver metastases from colorectal cancer (CRLM) improves survival compared to chemotherapy alone and may lead to cure in up to 40% of patients. Surgical resectability is limited by location of metastases and by FLR size and function. Commonly, the volume of the future liver remnant (FLR) should be at least 30% of the functional FLR volume. If this volume criterion is not met, the induction of liver regeneration between a two-stage hepatectomy is performed at many centers, with the aim to render patients resectable and reduce the risk of post hepatectomy liver failure. Gold standard to induce regeneration is the embolization of the portal vein branches to the tumor carrying liver (PVE) to induce regeneration of the FLR. Recently, combined embolization of both portal and hepatic veins (PVE/HVE) has been described as an alternative to portal vein embolization because it accelerates and increases growth of the FLR. PVE/HVE combines simultaneous embolization of the portal main branches into the tumor bearing liver and the hepatic vein draining them. The tissue in the part of the liver treated with PVE/HVE stays viable because the hepatic artery continues to supplies the liver deprived of portal and hepatic veins. Preclinical studies in pigs have demonstrated feasibility of this method and human case series show accelerated and increased liver growth. No multi-center evaluation has been performed so far. DRAGON 1 is an international, prospective, multi-center trial to test enrolment capacity of participants and safety of portal and hepatic vein embolization (PVE/HVE). DRAGON 1 will form the basis of the RCT DRAGON 2 to compare PVE with PVE/HV. DRAGON 2 is expected to start in 2021.