Oxaliplatin hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy for hepatic metastases from colorectal cancer: A phase I-II clinical study

Oxaliplatin is a new drug active in the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer. Hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy is under evaluation because of the high target dose and low general toxicity. Twelve patients with liver metastases from colorectal cancer were enrolled, all pretreated with evidence of progressive disease: three after a partial remission induced by oxaliplatin, folinic acid and 5-FU, three patients after a partial remission induced by irinotecan, folinic acid and 5-FU and six patients after failing a 5-FU and folinic acid regimen. They received hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy with oxaliplatin as 30-min infusion on an out-patient basis every 3 weeks. Dose-limiting toxicity was observed at 175 mg/m ²/cycle and consisted of obliteration of the hepatic artery in one patient, abdominal pain requiring morphine in one patient and severe hypotension requiring plasma expander in a third. Following phase I, all patients received 150 mg/m ² for six cycles. We reported four cases of partial remission (33%) lasting 24, 15, 12 and 10+ weeks, respectively, 2 stabilisation of disease (17%) lasting more than 12 weeks and six progressions (50%). Six patients (50%) presented CEA reduction of >30% and five patients (41%) showed an increase of >8% of body weight. The median survival was 13 months (range 6-19). Oxaliplatin did not present significant toxicity for liver parenchyma and biliary tree. We advise that further studies be undertaken with oxaliplatin 150 mg/m ².