INTRODUCTION: One of the most difficult factors in curing pancreatic carcinoma is hepatic metastases. Many patients who undergo curative resection have hepatic recurrence, and unresected patients with hepatic metastases have terribly poor prognosis. AIM: In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of hepatic arterial infusion therapy for pancreatic carcinoma. PATIENTS AND METHOD: The subjects were 42 patients who underwent curative surgery, and 75 who were treated without resection over the past 10 years. A catheter was inserted from the femoral artery to the proper hepatic artery using the interventional technique. The main drug of this therapy was 5-fluorouracil. RESULT: The prophylactic therapy for curative resected cases was effective for pathologically mild venous permeation cases but not effective for severe venous permeation cases. Prophylactic hepatic arterial infusion therapy to prevent hepatic metastasis was not effective for unresected cases; however, for the patients with hepatic metastases this therapy was one of the factors for prolonging survival time.
INTRODUCTION: One of the most difficult factors in curing pancreatic carcinoma is hepatic metastases. Many patients who undergo curative resection have hepatic recurrence, and unresected patients with hepatic metastases have terribly poor prognosis. AIM: In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of hepatic arterial infusion therapy for pancreatic carcinoma. PATIENTS AND METHOD: The subjects were 42 patients who underwent curative surgery, and 75 who were treated without resection over the past 10 years. A catheter was inserted from the femoral artery to the proper hepatic artery using the interventional technique. The main drug of this therapy was 5-fluorouracil. RESULT: The prophylactic therapy for curative resected cases was effective for pathologically mild venous permeation cases but not effective for severe venous permeation cases. Prophylactic hepatic arterial infusion therapy to prevent hepatic metastasis was not effective for unresected cases; however, for the patients with hepatic metastases this therapy was one of the factors for prolonging survival time.