Isolation of 
BLOOD CLOTTING
The CanPatrol™ CTC‐enrichment technique was used to isolate the CTCs. Prior to hepatic resection, blood samples were collected 1 or 2 days beforehand. To eliminate skin cell contamination, blood samples from the peripheral circulation (5 mL ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid used to prevent blood clotting) were taken after the first 2 mL of blood was discarded.