Hepatic resection plus hepatic artery infusion with implantable port for colorectal metastases

Hepatic resection of metastatic colorectal carcinoma offers a chance for long term survival and is being performed with increasing frequency. The aim of this study is to reduce the re relapse in the residual liver after curative hepatectomy. Nineteen patients with hepatic metastases from colorectal carcinoma who underwent hepatic resection plus hepatic artery infusion therapy using an implantable port (HR-HAI) were analyzed. As hepatic resection, lobectomies were performed in 6 patients, segmentectomies in 8 patients and wedge resection in 5 patients. As chemotherapeutic agents, adriamycin in 8 patients, mitomycin C in 7 patients and OK-432 in 4 patients were used. The drugs were administered through hepatic artery via a port every one month for one year at the out patient clinic. Eight out of 19 patients had no complication by HR-HAI therapy, but 3 patients had catheter obstruction within one year, 4 had gastrointestinal discomfort, 3 fever up and 1 liver tissue necrosis. The serious hepatotoxicity such as sclerosing cholangitis was not observed. Re-relapses were appeared in 15 patients and the sites were the residual liver in 10 patients, and 5 in the other organs. The 3-year survival rate of 19 treated patients was 40.0% higher than 33.3% of 52 patients undergone hepatic resection alone, but the difference was not statistically significant.