HEPATIC ARTERIAL INFUSION CHEMOTHERAPY FOR LIVER METASTASES FROM BREAST-CANCER

Between 1985 and 1992, 56 patients with unresectable liver metastases from breast cancer were treated by repeated hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy employing an implantable port system. 5-Fluorouracil (5-F U) at 330 mg/m(2) per week, Adriamycin (ADR) at 20 mg/m(2) every 4 wee ks, and mitomycin C (MMC) at 2.7 mg/m(2) every 2 weeks were given to 4 2 patients. The remaining 14 patients received 5-FU at 330 mg/m(2) per week and epirubicin (EPIR) at 20 mg/m(2) every 2 weeks. As a rule, th e treatment was performed on an outpatient basis. The side effects and complications observed included myelosuppression (41%), hepatic arter ial occlusion (23%), and gastric mucositis (20%), but no major toxicit y was encountered. The response rate (CR+PR) of the evaluated patients as determined from CT scans was 81%. The overall median survival peri od was 12.5 months. Only 14% of the patients died due to regrowth of l iver metastases, and in 70% of the total cases, death due to liver met astases was avoided by this treatment. Thus, repeated hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy for liver metastases from breast cancer might b e capable of prolonging the survival of patients via avoidance of deat h due to the liver metastases.