Durable remission of inoperable liver metastasis from rectal cancer after hepatic arterial infusion of oxaliplatin and 5-fluorouracil in combination with intravenous cetuximab.

At diagnosis of a cT3N0M1 adenocarcinoma of the rectum with synchronous inoperable liver metastases, a 59-year-old man was treated with preoperative radiotherapy (5×5 Gy), followed by laparoscopy-assisted anterior resection of the rectum with total mesorectal excision. At the first postoperative evaluation, a new lung metastasis was detected. First-line chemotherapy with folfiri (5-fluorouracil, irinotecan, leucovorin) resulted in transient stabilization of the metastatic liver disease. At progression, oxaliplatin and 5-fluorouracil-folinic acid were administered by intrahepatic arterial infusion, in combination with intravenous cetuximab. A partial radiologic response was obtained, with complete metabolic response on fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography, and normalization of carcinoembryonic antigen values. The solitary lung metastasis was sequentially treated with radiotherapy and resection. Five years after the initial diagnosis, this patient remains free from progression, with residual cystic remnants of the liver metastases visible on conventional computed tomography imaging, but not enhancing with fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography.