Radiofrequency Ablation Followed By Hepatic Artery Chemotherapy in Treating Patients With Colorectal Cancer That Has Spread to the Liver

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 2003-12-09
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

RATIONALE: Radiofrequency ablation may be able to shrink or destroy cancer cells. Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Chemotherapy delivered directly into the blood vessels of the liver may prevent new tumors from growing. Combining these therapies may be an effective treatment for colorectal cancer that has spread to the liver.

PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of radiofrequency ablation followed by chemotherapy delivered directly into the blood vessels of the liver in treating patients who have colorectal cancer that has spread to the liver.

• Phase: Phase 2
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: No

Details

• Lead Sponsor: M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
• Collaborator: National Cancer Institute (NCI)
• Treatments: Floxuridine; Fluorouracil

Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Histologically confirmed colorectal cancer metastatic to the liver No preoperative or intraoperative evidence of extrahepatic metastasis including clinical, radiographic, gross or microscopic evidence Tumors must be no more than 4 cm in diameter No more than 6 total tumors May have failed prior systemic chemotherapy Failure of 1 prior intra-arterial regimen excluding floxuridine, fluorouracil, or another fluoropyrimidine allowed if liver enzymes recovered No evidence of cirrhosis No gross ascites

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: 18 and over Performance status: Zubrod 0-2 Life expectancy:

At least 16 weeks Hematopoietic: Granulocyte count at least 1,500/mm3 Platelet count at least 100,000/mm3 Hepatic: Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 mg/dL Renal: Creatinine no greater than 1.5 mg/dL OR Creatinine clearance at least 60 mL/min Other: No active duodenal or gastric ulcers Not pregnant or nursing Negative pregnancy test Fertile patients must use effective contraception

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: Not specified Chemotherapy: See Disease Characteristics At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6-8 weeks since nitrosoureas or mitomycin) Endocrine therapy: Not specified Radiotherapy: At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy No prior radiotherapy to the liver Surgery: Not specified