[Combined therapy of metastatic liver neoplasms: intrahepatic chemoembolization and systemic chemotherapy]

Chemoembolisation has been an effective treatment-option for unresectable colorectal liver metastases, however it frequently fails because of tumour progression outside the liver. We conducted a pilot study to assess the toxicity and efficacy of combined regional and systemic chemotherapy for patients having liver dominant disease. Three cycles of chemoembolisation using 50 mg adriamycin, 8 mg mitomycin C, 50 mg cisplatinum admixed with 10 ml of lipiodol were given at 6 weeks intervals. The systemic therapy consisted of 425 mg/m2 5-fluorouracil and 20 mg/m2 leucovorin by intravenous infusion 1-5 days repeated every 28 days. 41 patients were treated for the period 1st January 1994-31st December 1996. Out of these 27 were male, 14 female with a medium age of 62 years (40-78). Primary site of tumour was colon in 30 cases and rectum in 11 cases. 14 patients received prior chemotherapy (5 adjuvant, 9 palliative). Mean follow up time is 18 months (4-36) in this study. 27 partial and 1 complete remissions were achieved at the average response rate of 68%. Mean time of progression was 10.7 months (4-18), overall survival time was 15 months (4-36). Common toxicity was the postembolisation syndrome consisting of abdominal pain, fever, chills, reversible elevated liver enzymes. Four patients had drug-induced cholangiohepatitis. At 15 patients we experienced grade 3, toxicity (5 diarrhoea, 3 mucositis, 2 vomiting, 2 leukopenia, 2 thrombocytopenia, one skin rush). No treatment related death or catheter complications were observed. Although these treatment results are superior to our historical experience, a controlled clinical trial will be acquired to establish this approach.