Intra-arterial hepatic treatment with carboplatin (CBDCA) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in metastases from colorectal carcinoma.

Thirty-one patients with hepatic metastases from colorectal carcinoma were treated with carboplatin (CBDCA), 55 mg/m2, given in a 4-hour intra-arterial infusion daily for 5 days, and 5-fluorouracil, 900 mg/m2, given in a 20-hour intra-arterial infusion daily for 5 days. Cycles were administered every 5 weeks. Objective responses were observed in 16 (51.6%) patients (5 complete and 11 partial responses). Another 13 patients maintained stable disease, and 2 patients rapidly progressed. The overall median survival was 23.5 months. The 16 patients with objective response had a median survival of 26.5 months. In this series, no evidence of biliary sclerosis, cholecystitis, chemical hepatitis, or myelosuppression was observed. Complications of drug delivery system were observed in 14 (45.16%) patients. In conclusion, intra-arterial hepatic chemotherapy with CBDCA-5FU was associated with a modest benefit, expressed in good quality responses and extended survival of approximately 2 years in about half of the treated patients.