[Preventive chemotherapy for residual liver after resection of hepatic metastasis from colorectal cancer]

Abstract

We compared 12 cases treated with intra-arterial chemotherapy (group A), with 15 cases only undergoing the usual hepatectomy (June 1991-February 1995). Six cases in group A were H1, 4 were H2, and 2 were H3; 12 cases in group B were H1, and 3 were H2. In both groups, primary lesions were removed. All cases received high-dose intermittent 5-FU infusion (WHF) at 1,000 mg/m2 via a reservoir for 5 hours a week at the outpatient clinic. Cumulative survival rates for 1 and 3 years are 100% and 68.6%, respectively, in group A, and 58.7% and 25.2% in group B, which indicates the treatment outcome in group A was significantly better. Recurrence in residual liver was not found in group A except for one case whose tumor was unremoved, but it was found in 8 cases (53.3%) in group B up to this writing. CEA value after resection in group A was within the normal range except for one case with a local recurrence. It seems that intra-arterial 5-FU infusion chemotherapy for residual liver after resection of hepatic metastasis from colorectal cancer has a preventive effect on residual liver, and the improvement of the cumulative survival rate can be expected.