Long-term complete response of unresectable liver metastases from colorectal cancer

Hepatogastroenterology. 2010 Jul-Aug;57(101):764-7.

Abstract

Recent advances in chemotherapy for metastatic colorectal cancer, such as fluorouracil -leucovorin, irinotecan, oxliplatin, and bevacizumab, have been demonstrated to achieve a high response rate. For most patients with unresectable liver metastases, however, chemotherapy is still not considered to provide a sufficient long-term disease-free survival without a surgical resection. We herein report two cases of a complete response for more than 8 years after having received treatment consisting of hepatic arterial infusion of fluorouracil and oral chemotherapy for unresectable liver metastases. The clinicopathological characteristics of these two cases were as follows: the number of liver metastases, 20, 11; the maximum size, 1.2 cm, 2.8 cm; the serum carcinoembryonic antigen level, 1.2 ng/ ml, 2.4 ng/ml. The following computed tomography scan revealed the liver metastases to have completely disappeared 7 months and 22 months after the treatment, respectively. It is speculated that a small size and a low level carcinoembryonic antigen may predict a good response to chemotherapy for unresectable liver metastases from colorectal cancer.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / administration & dosage*
  • Carcinoembryonic Antigen / blood
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Female
  • Fluorouracil / administration & dosage*
  • Humans
  • Infusions, Intra-Arterial
  • Liver Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
  • Liver Neoplasms / secondary*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic
  • Carcinoembryonic Antigen
  • Fluorouracil