[Evaluation of hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy for gastric cancer]

Hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) using implantable reservoir was performed for liver metastases of gastric cancer and the therapeutic effects were evaluated. A catheter was placed in the hepatic artery via left subclavian artery or by direct insertion at laparotomy. Cisplatin, adriamycin and 5-FU were administered. The liver metastases of gastric cancer without unresectable primary tumors and hepatectomy were divided into two groups, 16 HAIC cases (11 synchronous, 5 metachronous metastases) and 23 systemic chemotherapeutic cases (10 synchronous, 13 metachronous metastases). As a result, HAIC revealed a 62.5% response rate. The 50% survival period was 395 days for HAIC, and it was significantly prolonged compared with 198 days for systemic chemotherapy (p < 0.01). But 4 among 10 cases responding to HAIC showed subsequent extrahepatic spread of the disease. Treatment of these extra-hepatic lesions is difficult.