title: Hepatic arterial infusion of 5-fluorouracil and extrabeam radiotherapy for liver metastases from pancreatic carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the efficacy and safety of a combined modality therapy consisting of hepatic arterial infusion of 5-fluorouracil and external-beam radiotherapy in patients with advanced pancreatic carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy consisted of 5-FU 1000mg/m2 administrated as a 5-hr continuous infusion once weekly. External-beam radiotherapy (total dose, 50Gy; 2Gy/day) was delivered to the pancreas tumor concurrently for 5-6 weeks. Seventeen patients with no distant metastases except to the liver were enrolled in this study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients received a median of 13 cycles of chemotherapy. Sixteen of 17 patients received a total radiotherapy dose of 50Gy. In one patient, treatment was discontinued after 24Gy of radiotherapy and 2 cycles of chemotherapy because of progressive disease. Nausea and vomiting were the most common types of toxicity. Grade 3 or worse toxicity was observed in 2 patients. Four patients developed gastroduodenal ulcers. Of the 16 patients, 7 (41%) showed a partial response, and 9 (53%) showed no change. The median overall survival was 4.5 months and 1-yr overall survival of 11.8% was observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The combined therapy is active and well tolerated, but results in a poorer prognosis, in spite of its high initial response rate.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hepatobiliary Pancreatic Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Kashiwa, Japan. hirishii@east.ncc.go.jp
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ishii
authors.forename: Junji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Furuse
authors.forename: Michitaka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nagase
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yoshino
authors.forename: Mitsuhiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kawashima
authors.forename: Mitsuo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Satake
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ogino
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ikeda
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000556:secondary*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D006499:Hepatic Artery; D006801:Humans; D007261:Infusions, Intra-Arterial; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000556:secondary*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D011832:Radiation Injuries; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D005472:Fluorouracil