Treatment of liver metastases by arterial injection of adriamycin/mitomycin C lipiodol suspension.

Sixty-one patients with liver metastases were treated with hepatic arterial injection of Adriamycin/Mitomycin C oil suspension (ADMOS). The liver metastases originated from the gastrointestinal tract in 41 patients and from other organs in 20 patients. Sixty-nine liver tumors were analyzed in these 61 patients. Computed tomography (CT) after ADMOS injection (Lip-CT) gave more information in 19 cases (31%) than enhanced CT with a water-soluble contrast medium. With Lip-CT, Lipiodol tumor enhancement was observed in 64 of 69 lesions. The patterns of Lipiodol uptake in the tumors were classified into 4 types: Homogeneous accumulation (20%), heterogeneous accumulation (16%); accumulation with a central defect (57%); and no accumulation (7%). A tumor response was achieved in 41 of 69 lesions (59%). Anticancer effects were also shown as a decrease in serum CEA levels. The one year survival rate estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method was 43 per cent and the median survival time was 337 days. The results were better among patients who received multiple doses of ADMOS. Only minimal side effects were associated with ADMOS. The method is considered to be an excellent diagnostic and therapeutic procedure for liver metastases.