Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and the value of hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy and embolization in the treatment of liver metastases from alimentary tract cancer with Cox's proportional hazard model.
Methods: A total of 92 patients with unresectable liver metastases from alimentary tract cancer were treated by hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy and embolization in 316 times. Of 92 patients, 29 were given infusion chemotherapy only, 63 were given infusion chemotherapy together with embolization. Anticancer agents were the combination of epirubicin and/or cisplatin, mitomycin-C and fiuorouracil plus calcium folinate, added to embolization with lipiodol ultrafluid or lipiodol ultra-fluid and gelatin sponge. Cox's proportional hazard model was used in multivariate analysis.
Results: The results showed that the therapeutic efficacy of 9 cases with single liver metastasis was the best. The mean survival period > 30 months (P < 0.05). Comprehensive treatment significantly improves therapeutic efficacy (P < 0.01). Response rates were assessed by CT scan. An overall response rate (CR + PR) of the cases was 45.65%. The mean survival period of 92 patients were 19.6 months. The 0.5, 1, 2, 3, and 5-year survival rates were 95.7%, 73.8%, 36.3%, 20.6% and 11.6% respectively. These was no severe side effect or complication.
Conclusion: The hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy and embolization were of benefit to patients with liver metastases from alimentary tract cancer. It contributes not only to improving therapeutic efficacy, but also to an improved quality of life for the patients. Single liver metastasis and comprehensive treatment were the most important influence factors in hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy and embolization of the liver metasetases from alimentary tract cancer.