title: Hepatic arterial infusion combined with oral UFT/UZEL systemic chemotherapy for unresectable liver metastasis of colorectal cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hepatic arterial infusion (HAI) chemotherapy has a number of limitations, including a low rate of complete response and frequent extrahepatic recurrence, in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients with unresectable hepatic metastases. A clinical trial was planned to assess the safety and efficacy of combination chemotherapy of HAI and oral administration of UFT and leucovorin (UZEL) in CRC patients with unresectable liver metastases.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixteen CRC patients with unresectable liver metastases were treated with concurrent HAI and systemic oral UFT/UZEL. Eligible patients were previously untreated (except for adjuvant therapy) CRC patients with unresectable liver metastases, with WHO performance statuses of 0 to 2. On an outpatient basis, the patients received a treatment regimen consisting of 5-fluorouracil at 1000 mg/m2 and l-Leucovorin at 50 mg/m2 for 5 hours on days 1, 8, 15, and 22 by hepatic arterial infusion plus oral UFT (300 mg/m2) and UZEL (75 mg/body) on days 2-7, 9-14, and 23-28 followed by withdrawal for one week. The cycles were repeated every 5 weeks until disease progression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 103 cycles of HAI with the UFT/UZEL regimen were administered (median, 5 cycles; range, 6 to 9 cycles). The response rate was 87.5% (14 partial responses and 2 stable diseases). The median progression-free survival rate was 9.2 months, and the median survival time was 22 months. No treatment-related grade 3 or 4 adverse events were observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This novel locoregional HAI with an oral UFT/UZEL systemic chemotherapeutic regimen is feasible in an outpatient setting and should be considered as first-line chemotherapy for CRC patients with unresectable liver metastases.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgical Science (Surgery I), Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-39-22 Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan. chuchumi@showa.gunma-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Soichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tsutsumi
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.forename: Kaori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsuboi
authors.forename: Takaharu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fukasawa
authors.forename: Yuichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tabe
authors.forename: Takayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Asao
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kuwano
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007261:Infusions, Intra-Arterial; D002955:Leucovorin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000556:secondary; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D005641:Tegafur / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014498:Uracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014803:Vitamin B Complex / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D014803:Vitamin B Complex; D005641:Tegafur; D014498:Uracil; D002955:Leucovorin