A PHASE-I STUDY OF CHEMOEMBOLIZATION WITH CISPLATIN AND LIPIODOL FOR PRIMARY AND METASTATIC LIVER-CANCER

Twenty patients with either unresectable primary hepatocellular carcin oma or hepatic metastases were entered into a chemoembolization progra m with cisplatin and lipiodol; 19 patients were evaluable for response . Doses of cisplatin ranged from 40 to 100 mg/m(2). Toxicity was toler able and reversible and included abdominal pain, transient elevation i n serum creatinine, serum bilirubin, and serum transaminases. Less com mon side effects include fever, ascites or pleural effusion, and hiccu ps. Two of four patients with ocular melanoma had partial responses. D uration of response was 10 and 11 months. Among 8 patients with unrese ctable hepatoma, 2 patients had partial response for 10+ and 13 months , 2 had minor response for 2 months and 4+ months, 1 patient had stabl e disease for 5+ months, and 3 patients failed to respond. Of the six colon cancer patients treated, one had a partial response in the liver , but developed progressive nodal disease, and another patient had a p artial response for 3 months. Chemoembolization of the liver with cisp latin and lipiodol is feasible and doses of cisplatin at least 100 mg/ m(2) are tolerable. Antitumor activity in metastatic ocular melanoma i s encouraging but requires further study.