Evaluation of Hepatic Artery Infusion Chemotherapy after Hepatectomy for Colorectal Hepatic Metastases

Yasushi Suzuki, Masashi Watanabe, Makoto Kikuchi, Yukitake Hasebe, Haruhiro Nakazaki, Natsuki Tokura, Kimihiko Funahashi Kazunori Tsujita, Tatsuo Teramoto, and Kazuo Kobayashi

First Department of Surgery, Toho University School of Medicine

The signigicance of hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy after hepatectomy for hepatic metastases of colorectal carcinoma was analyzed. From 1988 to 1998, 104 patients with liver metastases were examined. In 46 cases, who had undergone surgical curative resection of both colorectal carcinoma and liver metastases, two groups were analyzed: group I (18 cases) underwent hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy after hepatectomy, and group II (28 cases) underwent hepatectomy alone. The cumulative 5-year survival rate was significantly better in group I than group II. No statistical difference was noted in disease-free survival rates between the two groups. In hepatic recurrent cases, the interval between recurrence and hepatectomy was significantly longer in group I than in group II. In group I, the initial hepatic recurrence was removable in all cases, but in group II, many cases were nonresectable and associated with lymph node metantases in the hapatic hilus. In the hepatic recurrent cases, the carcinoembryonic antigen doubling time was significantly longer in group I than in group II. These findings suggest that hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy after hepatectomy impedes tumor growth, prolongs the interval between hepatic recurrence, and reduces the volume of hepatic recurrence

Key words
hepatic metastases from colorectal cancer, residual hepatic recurrent, hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy

Reprint requests
Yasushi Suzuki First Department of Surgery, Toho University School of Medicine, 6-11-1 Ohmori-nishi, Ohtaku, Tokyo, 143-8541 JAPAN

Accepted
September 22, 1999

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