STUDIES OF POSTOPERATIVE TRANSARTERIAL INFUSION CHEMOTHERAPY FOR LIVER METASTASIS OF COLORECTAL-CARCINOMA AFTER HEPATECTOMY

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of postoperative transarterial infusion chemotherapy (PTIC) for the prev ention of metastatic liver cancer recurrence after hepatectomy followi ng curative surgery for colorectal carcinoma. METHODOLOGY: Thirty-eigh t patients who underwent curative hepatectomy for metastatic liver can cer from colorectal carcinoma were studied. Ten out of the 38 patients received PTIC (experimental group) and 28 patients did not receive ch emotherapy (control group). PTIC was performed with an intrahepatic in dwelling catheter, which was set-up for 3 weeks and repeated 3 times i n two monthly intervals. RESULTS: In the control group, no significant differences were observed in the survival between patients with a sin gle hepatic nodule and those with multiple hepatic nodules. Between pa tients with hepatic tumors of more than 3 cm in diameter and those wit h tumors less than 3 cm, and between patients with tumors located at H 1 and H2, no significant differences were seen, either. However, the 5 -year survival rate of the patients with metachronous liver metastases was 90% which was significantly better than for those patients with s ynchronous liver tumors (p<0.05). The 100% of 3- and 100% of 4-year su rvival rates of the experimental group were significantly better than the 60% and 41% respectively of the control group (p<0.05). The non-re currence rate in the remnant liver was also significantly better in th e experimental group than that in the control group (p<0.01). The adve rse effect of this protocol was negligible. CONCLUSION: We conclude th at PTIC improved the survival and non-recurrence rate in the remnant l iver of the patients with liver metastases from colorectal cancer afte r hepatectomy, and was considered to be safe and an important protctiv e factor for the prevention of recurrence of liver metastases after he patectomy.