title: A pilot study of adjuvant hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy, associating 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin, after resection of colorectal cancer liver metastases.
abstract: We initiated a pilot study of adjuvant hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (AHAIC) using 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and leucovorin. Hepatic arterial infusion ports were placed in 15 consecutive patients undergoing curative resection of colorectal liver metastases. The chemotherapy regimen consisted of a weekly infusion of 5-FU (12 mg m 2 per day) and leucovorin (200 mg m 2 per day) for 12 months. The mean follow-up was 22 months (range 3-62 months, SD 21-37 months). There were no clinical or biological complications related to chemotherapy, except for sharp epigastric burns in four patients immediately after 5-FU infusions. Catheter irreversible occlusions led to early cessation of the treatment in three patients. Four of the 15 evaluable patients developed recurrent disease. The site of relapse was the liver in two patients and extra-hepatic sites in the two remaining patients. Three of these four patients died of their recurrent disease. These results suggest that 5-FU and leucovorin can be combined for AHAIC in a long duration regimen with a very low rate of side-effects. This protocol could be safely employed in a prospective randomized study in combination with 5-FU systemic infusions.
authors.affiliation: Hôpital Calmette, Clinique chirurgicale, Lille, France.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Porte
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: De Moulins
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gambiez
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wurtz
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Quandalle
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000931:Antidotes / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007261:Infusions, Intra-Arterial; D002955:Leucovorin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000931:Antidotes; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D002955:Leucovorin; D005472:Fluorouracil