Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

Advertisement

British Journal of Cancer
  • View all journals
  • Search
  • My Account Login
  • Content Explore content
  • About the journal
  • Publish with us
  • Sign up for alerts
  • RSS feed
  1. nature
  2. british journal of cancer
  3. regular article
  4. article
Liver metastases from colorectal cancer: regional intra-arterial treatment following failure of systemic chemotherapy
Download PDF
Download PDF
  • Regular Article
  • Open access
  • Published: 14 August 2001

Liver metastases from colorectal cancer: regional intra-arterial treatment following failure of systemic chemotherapy

  • A Cyjon1,
  • M Neuman-Levin2,
  • E Rakowsky1,
  • F Greif3,
  • A Belinky2,
  • E Atar2,
  • R Hardoff4,
  • B Brenner1 &
  • …
  • A Sulkes1 

British Journal of Cancer volume 85, pages 504–508 (2001)Cite this article

  • 818 Accesses

  • 11 Citations

  • Metrics details

This article has been updated

Abstract

This study was designed to determine response rate, survival and toxicity associated with combination chemotherapy delivered intra-arterially to liver in patients with hepatic metastases of colorectal origin refractory to standard systemic treatment. A total of 28 patients who failed prior systemic treatment with fluoropyrimidines received a median of 5 cycles of intra-arterial treatment consisting of 5-fluorouracil 700 mg/m2/d, leucovorin 120 mg/m2/d, and cisplatin 20 mg/m2/d for 5 consecutive days. Cycles were repeated at intervals of 5–6 weeks. A major response was achieved in 48% of patients: complete response in 8% and partial response in 40%. The median duration of response was 11.5 months. Median survival was 12 months at a median follow up of 12 months. On multivariate analysis, the only variables with a significant impact on survival were response to treatment and performance status. Toxicity was moderate: grades III–IV neutropenia occurred in 29% of patients. Most of the patients complained of fatigue lasting for a few days following each cycle. There were no cases of hepatobiliary toxicity. These findings indicate that regional intra-arterial treatment should be considered in selected patients with predominantly liver disease following failure of standard treatment. © 2001 Cancer Research Campaign http://www.bjcancer.com

Similar content being viewed by others

Exploring the efficacy of fluorouracil and platinum based chemotherapy in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma to bridge the treatment gap in resource limited settings

Article Open access 27 January 2025

The impact of sarcopenia on overall survival in patients with pan-RAS wild-type colorectal liver metastasis receiving hepatectomy

Article Open access 27 April 2023

Chemotherapy (doublet or triplet) plus targeted therapy by RAS status as conversion therapy in colorectal cancer patients with initially unresectable liver-only metastases. The UNICANCER PRODIGE-14 randomised clinical trial

Article 06 January 2022

Article PDF

Change history

  • 16 November 2011

    This paper was modified 12 months after initial publication to switch to Creative Commons licence terms, as noted at publication

References

  • Advanced Colorectal Cancer Meta-Analysis Project (1992) Modulation of fluorouracil by leucovorin in patients with advanced colorectal cancer: evidence in terms of response rate. J Clin Oncol 10: 896–903

  • Cantrell JE Jr, Hart RD, Taylor RF and Harvey JH Jr (1987) Pilot trial of prolonged continuous infusion 5-fluorouracil and weekly cisplatin in advanced colorectal cancer. Cancer Treat Rep 71: 615–618

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chang AE, Schneider PD, Sugarbaker PH, Simpson C, Culnane M and Steinberg SM (1987) A prospective randomized trial of regional versus systemic continuous 5-FUDR chemotherapy in the treatment of colorectal liver metastases. Ann Surg 206: 685–693

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cox DR (1972) Regression models and life tables. J Roy Stat Soc 34: 187–220

    Google Scholar 

  • Douillard JY, Cunningham D, Roth AD, Navarro M, James RD, Karasek P, Jandik P, Iveson T, Carmichael J, Alakl M, Gruia G, Awad L and Rougier P (2000) Irinotecan combined with fluorouracil compared with fluorouracil alone as first-line treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer: a multicentre randomised trial. Lancet 355: 1041–1047

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ensminger WD and Gyves JW (1983) Clinical pharmacology of hepatic arterial chemotherapy. Semin Oncol 10: 176–183

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Foster HJH and Berman MM (1977) Solid liver tumors. Ebert PA (ed) Major Problems in Clinical Surgery pp. 209–234, W.B. Saunders: Philadelphia

    Google Scholar 

  • Harmantas A, Rotstein LE and Langer B (1996) Regional versus systemic chemotherapy in the treatment of colorectal carcinoma metastatic to the liver. Cancer 78: 1639–1645

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hohn DC, Stagg RJ, Friedman MA, Hannigan JF, Rayner A, Ignoffo RJ, Acord P and Lewis BJ (1989) A randomized trial of continuous intravenous versus hepatic intraarterial floxuridine in patients with colorectal cancer metastatic to the liver: the Northern California Oncology Group Trial. J Clin Oncol 7: 1646–1654

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kaplan E and Meier P (1958) Nonparametric estimation for incomplete observations. J Am Stat Assoc 53: 457–481

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kemeny N, Conti JA, Cohen A, Campana P, Huang Y, Shi WJ, Botet J, Pulliam S and Bertino JR (1994) Phase II study of hepatic arterial floxuridine, leucovorin, and dexamethasone for unresectable liver metastases from colorectal carcinoma. J Clin Oncol 12: 2288–2295

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kemeny N, Daly J, Reichman B, Geller N, Botet J and Oderman P (1987) Intrahepatic or systemic infusion of FUDR in patients with liver metastases from colorectal carcinoma. A randomized trial. Ann Intern Med 107: 459–465

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kemeney N and Ron I (1999) Hepatic arterial chemotherapy in metastatic colorectal patients. Semin Oncol 26: 524–535

    Google Scholar 

  • Kemeny N and Seiter K (1993) Treatment options for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. Niederhuber JE (eds). Current Therapy in Oncology pp. 447–457, Mosby Year-Book: St Louis

    Google Scholar 

  • Landis SH, Murray T, Bolden S and Wingo PA (1998) Cancer statistics, 1998. CA Cancer J Clin 48: 6–29

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Meta-Analysis Group in Cancer Reappraisal of hepatic arterial infusion in the treatment of nonresectable liver metastases from colorectal cancer (1996) J Natl Cancer Inst 88: 252–258

  • Palmeri S, Gebbia V, Russo A, Gebbia N, Rostum Y and Rausa L (1992) Cisplatinum in combination with 5-fluorouracil and citrovorum factor in the treatment of advanced colorectal carcinoma. Cancer Invest 10: 497–504

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Patt YZ, Hoque A, Lozano R, Pazdur R, Chase J, Carrasco H, Chuang V, Delpassand ES, Ellis L, Curley S, Roh M and Jones DV (1997) Phase II trial of hepatic arterial infusion of fluorouracil and recombinant human interferon alpha-2b for liver metastases of colorectal cancer refractory to systemic fluorouracil and leucovorin. J Clin Oncol 15: 1432–1438

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Peto R, Pike MC, Armitage P, Breslow NE, Cox DR, Howard SV, Mantel N, McPherson K, Peto J and Smith PG (1977) Design and analysis of randomized clinical trials requiring prolonged observation of each patient. II. Analysis and examples. Br J Cancer 35: 1–39

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pitot HC, Wender DB, O'Connell MJ, Schroeder G, Godlberg RM, Rubin J, Mailliard JA, Knost JA, Ghosh C, Kirschling RJ, Levitt R and Windschitz HE (1997) Phase II trial of irinotecan in patients with metastatic colorectal carcinoma. J Clin Oncol 15: 2910–2919

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rougier P, Bugat R, Douillard JY, Culine S, Suc E, Brunet P, Becouarn Y, Ychou M, Marty M, Extra JM, Bonneterre J, Adenis A, Seitz JF, Ganem G, Namer M, Conroy T, Negrier S, Merrouche Y, Burki F, Mousseau M, Herait P and Mahjoubi M (1997) Phase II study of irinotecan in the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer in chemotherapy-naive patients and patients pretreated with fluorouracil-based chemotherapy. J Clin Oncol 15: 250–260

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schabel FM, Trader MW, Laster WR, Corbett TH and Griswold DP Jr (1979) Cis-platinum: combination chemotherapy and cross-resistant studies with tumors of mice. Cancer Treat Rep 63: 1459–1473

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Scheithauer W, Rosen H, Schiessel R, Schuller J, Karall M, Ernst F, Sebesta C, Kornek J, Hentschel E and Marczel A (1991) Treatment of patients with advanced colorectal cancer with cisplatin, 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin. Cancer 67: 1294–1298

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Oncology, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Tel Aviv University, Petah Tiqva, 49 100, Tel Aviv, Israel

    A Cyjon, E Rakowsky, B Brenner & A Sulkes

  2. Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Unit of Invasive Radiology, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Tel Aviv University, Petah Tiqva, 49 100, Tel Aviv, Israel

    M Neuman-Levin, A Belinky & E Atar

  3. Department of Surgery B, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Tel Aviv University, Petah Tiqva, 49 100, Tel Aviv, Israel

    F Greif

  4. Department of Nuclear Medicine and Sackler Faculty of Medicineilinson Campus, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Tel Aviv University, Petah Tiqva, 49 100, Tel Aviv, Israel

    R Hardoff

Authors
  1. A Cyjon
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  2. M Neuman-Levin
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  3. E Rakowsky
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  4. F Greif
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  5. A Belinky
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  6. E Atar
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  7. R Hardoff
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  8. B Brenner
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  9. A Sulkes
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

From twelve months after its original publication, this work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Cyjon, A., Neuman-Levin, M., Rakowsky, E. et al. Liver metastases from colorectal cancer: regional intra-arterial treatment following failure of systemic chemotherapy. Br J Cancer 85, 504–508 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1054/bjoc.2001.1972

Download citation

  • Received: 13 November 2000

  • Revised: 27 April 2001

  • Accepted: 16 May 2001

  • Published: 14 August 2001

  • Issue date: 17 August 2001

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1054/bjoc.2001.1972

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

Keywords

  • colorectal cancer
  • liver metastases
  • regional intra-arterial
Download PDF

Advertisement

Explore content

  • Research articles
  • Reviews & Analysis
  • News & Comment
  • Current issue
  • Collections
  • Follow us on Twitter
  • Sign up for alerts
  • RSS feed

About the journal

  • Journal Information
  • Open access publishing
  • About the Editors
  • Contact
  • Special Issues
  • For Advertisers
  • Subscribe

Publish with us

  • For Authors & Referees
  • Language editing services
  • Open access funding
  • Submit manuscript

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

  • Explore articles by subject
  • Find a job
  • Guide to authors
  • Editorial policies

British Journal of Cancer (Br J Cancer)

ISSN 1532-1827 (online)

ISSN 0007-0920 (print)

nature.com sitemap

About Nature Portfolio

  • About us
  • Press releases
  • Press office
  • Contact us

Discover content

  • Journals A-Z
  • Articles by subject
  • protocols.io
  • Nature Index

Publishing policies

  • Nature portfolio policies
  • Open access

Author & Researcher services

  • Reprints & permissions
  • Research data
  • Language editing
  • Scientific editing
  • Nature Masterclasses
  • Research Solutions

Libraries & institutions

  • Librarian service & tools
  • Librarian portal
  • Open research
  • Recommend to library

Advertising & partnerships

  • Advertising
  • Partnerships & Services
  • Media kits
  • Branded content

Professional development

  • Nature Awards
  • Nature Careers
  • Nature Conferences

Regional websites

  • Nature Africa
  • Nature China
  • Nature India
  • Nature Japan
  • Nature Middle East
  • Privacy Policy
  • Use of cookies
  • Legal notice
  • Accessibility statement
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Your US state privacy rights
Springer Nature

© 2026 Springer Nature Limited