Impact of fresh frozen plasma transfusion on postoperative inflammation and prognosis of colorectal liver metastases.

BACKGROUND: Blood transfusion has been reported to be associated with immunomodulation and poor oncologic outcomes in several malignancies. The aim of the study is to investigate the influence of the use of fresh frozen plasma (FFP) on long-term outcomes in patients with colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) after hepatic resection.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study comprised 127 patients who had undergone first hepatic resection for CRLM between April 2000 and December 2013. We retrospectively investigated the influence of the use of FFP on disease-free survival as well as overall survival and assessed the impact of such a practice on postoperative inflammation markers.

RESULTS: In multivariate analysis, more than four lymph node metastases of the primary cancer (P = 0.001), bilobar distribution (P = 0.002), and perioperative FFP transfusion (P = 0.005) were independent risk factors for cancer recurrence, while more than four lymph node metastases of the primary cancer (P < 0.001), presence of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (P = 0.002), and perioperative FFP transfusion (P = 0.004) were independent risk factors for poor overall survival. In patients who underwent FFP transfusion, tumor size (P = 0.004), anatomic resection (P < 0.001), duration of operation (P = 0.039), and intraoperative blood loss (P < 0.001) were significantly greater. Moreover, FFP transfusion was associated with a higher white blood cell level on postoperative day 3 (P < 0.001) and day 5 (P = 0.010) and lower serum C-reactive protein level on postoperative day 1 (P < 0.001) and day 3 (P = 0.017).

CONCLUSIONS: Perioperative FFP transfusion is independently associated with poor long-term outcomes in patients with CRLM after hepatic resection. FFP may have an influence on postoperative inflammation because of its immunosuppressive effects.