[Repeated intra-arterial chemotherapy combined with mitomycin C and degradable starch microspheres in inoperable metastatic hepatic cancer].

Intra-arterial chemotherapy combined with mitomycin C (MMC) and degradable starch microspheres (DSM) was prescribed repeatedly for 14 patients with inoperable hepatic metastasis. This intra-arterial treatment was repeated 2.7 times on the average. The average dose of DSM and MMC in a single infusion was 685 +/- 201 mg and 13.8 +/- 3.8 mg, respectively. To analyse the degradation time of DSM, MMC concentrations in the peripheral blood were measured by HPLC method. RI-angiography using 99mTc macroaggregated albumin(MAA) was performed to estimate the hemodynamic changes in the liver. Antitumor efficacy was evaluated in terms of tumor regression measured by CT scan. An objective tumor response was observed in 9/14 patients(64.2%): CR 1/14; PR 6/14; MR 2/14. Elevated CEA levels were decreased in 11/12 patients (91.7%). Based on the peripheral MMC blood levels after combined infusion with DSM and MMC, an occlusion of intrahepatic vessels with DSM continued at least for 30 minutes. Again, RI-angiography with 99mTc-MAA plus DSM revealed the increased accumulation in the tumor, compared to 99mTc-MAA only. Side effects possibly attributable to DSM were observed in 14/38 treatments, though they were slight and temporary. Thus, these results indicate that this combined intra-arterial infusion of DSM and MMC achieve, higher regional selectivity.