Clinical and preclinical trials of isolated liver perfusion for advanced liver tumors: primary liver tumors.

Preclinical serum and tissue pharmacology studies have played a key role in the development and testing of this novel system designed to treat liver tumors. Pharmacologic evaluation confirmed that the CVHI-CF system significantly limited systemic serum and tissue exposure to chemotherapy drugs given by HAI. By reducing systemic drug exposure and, thus, limiting systemic toxicity, higher doses of antitumor agents can be administered to enhance intratumoral drug levels and increase tumor cell kill. The CVHI-CF system will likely prove increasingly valuable as more active chemotherapeutic agents are developed to treat hepatic malignancies.