Patent ID: 8048856

Claim:
A method for reducing cancerous hepatic tumor recurrence and minimizing hepatic tumor cell metastasis in a mammal during surgical removal of a hepatic tumor in which the surgical removal of the hepatic tumor includes partial hepatectomy and disruption of blood supply to a region of a mammalian body including the liver comprising: prior to disrupting blood supply, administering a non-polymeric, highly purified and heat stable oxygen carrier-containing pharmaceutical composition comprising a cross-linked tetrameric hemoglobin with an undetectable dimer concentration to a region of a mammalian body including the liver having a hepatic tumor to be removed; disrupting blood supply to said region of the body including the liver during at least a portion of the hepatic tumor removal process; re-establishing blood supply to said region of the body including the liver, the re-establishing of blood supply including further administering the non-polymeric cross-linked tetrameric hemoglobin to said region of the mammalian body including the liver.