[Hepatic Arterial Infusion Chemotherapy for Liver Metastasis after Esophagectomy for Esophageal Cancer]

The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcome and efficacy of hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy for liver metastasis. Nineteen patients with liver metastasis after esophagectomy for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma underwent hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy. Six patients(32%)received hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy as the initial treatment, and the remaining 13 patients(68%)received hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy after systemic chemotherapy. Of the 13 patients, 3 responders to the first systemic chemotherapy received as maintenance therapy, and 10 non-responders to the first systemic chemotherapy received as a second-line therapy. Response ratio was 37%, and 6 patients(32%)had a toxicity of Grade 3 or more. The median overall survival after liver metastasis was 10.8 months, and the 1-year overall survival rate was 42%. No patient survived more than 3 years after liver metastasis. The 1-year overall survival rate in patients received as the initial and maintenance therapy was 67%, while that in patients received as a second-line therapy was 20%(p=0.0291). Our findings suggested that hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy for liver metastasis may be effective treatment as the initial therapy or the maintenance therapy for responders to the first systemic chemotherapy.