Hepatic artery ligation and adriamycin infusion chemotherapy for hepatoma

Two patients with hepatoma of the liver were treated with ligation of the hepatic artery and continuous infusion of adriamycin into the distal arterial branch. Both patients had tumor replacing 60-75% of the normal liver parenchyma. There was clinical improvement and objective shrinkage of the tumor by liver scan lasting for 5 and 7 months. But both cases died 7 and 11 months later, probably of cardiac toxicity (total dose of adriamycin = 500 mg/m2).