Hepatic artery ligation and chemotherapeutic infusion in the treatment of hepatic malignancy.

This report reviews the results of treatment of hepatic malignancies by intra-arterial infusional chemotherapy and hepatic artery ligation. Seventy-nine patients with liver metastases or primary hepatomas were treated by this technique between the years 1970 and 1982. The majority of patients had metastatic disease from colon and rectal cancers. The median and mean survivals in the total group was 10 and 14 months, respectively (including operative deaths). Patients with metastatic disease from colon and rectal cancers had better survival than those with metastases from other primaries. Patients with synchronous liver malignancy had better survival than those with metachronous disease. Length of survival correlated positively with the duration of chemotherapeutic infusions, the latter being frequently (in 42% of patients) interrupted because of catheter complications. A new technique utilizing implantable pumps can be expected to further improve the results by reducing catheter malfunction and prolonging treatment courses.