[Therapeutic effect of transarterial infusion immunochemotherapy for metastatic liver cancer]

In order to improve therapeutic efficacy for metastatic liver cancer, intermittent transarterial administration of BRM in combination with anticancer drugs was performed by use of reservoir apparatus. A total of 22 patients (12 cases of gastric cancer, 6 of colon cancer, 2 of pancreas cancer, 1 of gall bladder cancer and 1 of biliary tract carcinoid) were treated according to the following schedule: both 10 mg of ADM (or MMC) and 0.5 KE (or 1.0 KE) of OK-432 were administered on day 1 and 40 x 10(4) JRU of recombinant interleukin 2 (r-IL 2) on day 4, 7 and 11. The treatment was repeated as many times as possible. In terms of direct antitumor effect and decrease of tumor marker, the response rate was 43% (6 cases out of 14) and 75% (9 cases out of 12), respectively. As for performance status, improvement, no change and deterioration were seen in 4 cases, 8 cases and 3 cases, respectively. Even though 13 patients died, 8 of them survived more than 300 days. In the case of gastric cancer patients with liver metastasis, 50% survival time of 12 cases was 334 days, while that of 30 cases, who were administered anticancer drugs only systemically, was 144 days. In 3 cases the decrease in the size of tumors located in both liver and the other metastases also was seen. Every case developed high grade fever, but an antifebrile was effective. Otherwise severe side effects were not seen. These results indicated that intermittent arterial infusion immunochemotherapy was feasible for the treatment of metastatic liver cancer.