Clinical evaluation of hepatic arterial infusion of low dose-CDDP and 5-FU with hyperthermotherapy: a preliminary study for liver metastases from esophageal and gastric cancer.
OBJECTIVE
The prognosis for gastric and esophageal cancer patients with liver metastases remains very poor. In most cases, liver metastasis is unresectable because of its number, size and location and therefore, other approaches need to be considered.


METHODS
In this study we examined 4 patients. We showed the therapeutic benefits of employing hepatic arterial infusion of low-dose CDDP and 5-FU combined with hyperthermia for the treatment of liver metastases of gastric and esophageal cancer.


RESULTS
All patients showed partial response, and bone marrow toxicities and gastrointestinal toxicities were extremely slight while liver toxicities were not observed at all. Moreover, 3 of the patients excluding patient 3 who had metastatic lesions other than liver metastases have still been alive for more than 17 months (17-28 months) maintaining a good quality of life.


CONCLUSIONS
Therefore, it is suggested that the merits of both low dose-FP and hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy contribute to ideal clinical effects, and that hyperthermotherapy could enhance clinical responses without potentiating any toxicities. However, this is just a preliminary study, and therefore, a prospective randomized control study is necessary to evaluate the efficiency of this therapy.
Iwahashi
M
M
Second Department of Surgery, Wakayama Medical School, Japan.
Tanimura
H
H
Nakamori
M
M
Nagai
Y
Y
Hirabayashi
N
N
Ueda
K
K
Matsuda
K
K
Tsunoda
T
T
Yamaue
H
H
D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006499:Hepatic Artery; D006801:Humans; D006979:Hyperthermia, Induced; D007261:Infusions, Intra-Arterial; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary* / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D002945:Cisplatin; D005472:Fluorouracil