Three cases of liver metastasis of colon cancer responding to systemic combination chemotherapy utilizing CPT-11

Though the first choice of treatment for liver metastasis in colon cancer is surgical resection of liver, 30-60% of such patients experience a recurrence of liver metastasis. Even if reoperation is done optimally, the surgical resection of liver metastasis may not be a definitely curative treatment. For cases of liver metastasis from colon cancer that are non-resectable due to multiple liver metastases, other organ metastases (lung, bone, brain etc.), the advanced age of the patient, or other complications (cerebrovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, heart disease etc.), hepatic arterial infusion or systemic combination chemotherapies are selected. In the present paper, we report 3 cases of effective systemic chemotherapy utilizing CPT-11 for liver metastases from colon cancers. The method was UFT + irinotecan (CPT-11), cisplatin (CDDP) + tegafur + CPT-11, UFT + CPT-11 + etoposide (ETP) + pirarubicin (THP). The result obtained was a partial response (PR) in each case. As there were few adverse effects, we could provide treatment during a short-term admission or an outpatient basis. We thus obtained good post-chemotherapeutic QOL, and these regimens may be effective forms of chemotherapies in the future.