Pilot study of intra-arterial floxuridine, mitomycin and doxorubicin in combination with degradable starch microspheres to treat primary and metastatic tumors of the liver.

Concurrent administration of degradable starch microspheres and cytostatic agents into the hepatic artery results in decreased systemic exposure and increased hepatic exposure to drug compared to intra-arterial administration of drug alone. Degradable starch microspheres 210 mg/m2 mixed with floxuridine 500 mg/m2, doxorubicin 40 gm/m2, and mitomycin 10 mg/m2 were administered through hepatic artery catheters to eleven patients with primary or metastatic cancer of the liver. Toxicity was acceptable and consisted of severe myelosuppression (5%), duodenal/gastric ulceration (9%), mild to moderate nausea and vomiting (17%) and alopecia (86%). There were no responses among the eleven patients; 7 of 7 patients with colo-rectal carcinoma had stable disease while on study. Minimal activity was observed in 7 patients with colo-rectal carcinoma. The use of degradable starch microspheres offers a new approach to the regional treatment of cancer and warrants further study.