[Assessment of serial carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA): monitor to evaluate efficacy of continuous intrahepatic chemotherapy for nonresectable liver metastases of colorectal carcinomas].

It is not easy to evaluate the efficacy of the regional chemotherapy for liver metastases early by imaging procedures. We attempted to find out whether the changes of serial CEA levels under treatment were useful to predict the therapeutic progress for 24 patients with nonresectable liver metastases of colorectal cancer, but without extrahepatic tumor. Continuous intrahepatic chemotherapy was performed in all cases with 5-FU (250 mg/body) over 7 days, followed by a 7-day therapy-free interval for a mean 4.5 months. CT examination revealed CR or PR in 20 patients, mean 4 months after the beginning of treatment, and PD in 4. Among the CR or PR patients, serial CEA levels at 1 month after the beginning of chemotherapy were decreased in most cases, and not changed or little increased in a few cases; but at 2 months after, decreased markedly in all cases. On the other hand, those in PD they were group increased markedly about three times as much as pretreatment. At the same time, Al-p and LDH values were normal in the regression group, but abnormal in the progression group. The changes in serial CEA levels at 1 months after chemotherapy were useful to predict the therapeutic progress. Especially in the CEA-increased patients at 1 month after treatment, the Al-p and LDH values were helpful for evaluation.