[Hepatic arterial infusion therapy for gastric liver metastasis using implanted reservoir]

Gastric liver metastasis is a fatal disease, and there is no golden standard as to its therapeutic mode. We experienced 58 such cases. Liver resections were performed in six cases (Group 1). Hepatic arterial infusion (HAI) chemotherapy, with 500 mg 5-FU and 100 mg of carboplatin as one shot weekly, was performed in fifteen cases (Group 2). The 50% survival was 656 days for Group 1, and 565 days for Group 2. Another nine cases, implanted with arterial catheter and reservoir did not qualify for HAI due to subsequent extra-hepatic spread of the disease (Group 3). For the rest of the patients (Group 4, n = 28), HAI could not be applied, due to existing extrahepatic spread of gastric cancer, which exhausted these patients. The 50% survival was 104 days and 93 days for Group 3 and Group 4, respectively. HAI therapy showed considerably improved survival for gastric liver metastasis. However, its indication needs to be clarified further.