[Trans-arterial embolization or transarterial infusion of anti-cancer drugs suspended in a lipid contrast medium against unresectable metastatic liver cancer].

Abstract We had 84 patients with unresectable metastatic liver cancer from May, 1980 to December 1987 in the National Matsudo Hospital. Eighteen of them had no treatment; 26 of them had serial transarterial embolization (TAE) with or without infusion of anti-cancer drug dispersed in lipiodol; 7 of them had only serial trans-arterial infusion (L-TAI) of an anticancer drug suspended in lipiodol. A significant survival advantage of patients with TAE or L-TAI was noted when compared with no treatment, but there was no difference between the survival rate of patients with TAE and L-TAI. There were some 82 patients with unresectable metastatic liver cancer from October 1984 to March 1988 in Kyto Prefectural University of Medicine Hospital. Thirteen of them had L-TAI using one anti-cancer drug (one-drug group); 8 of them had L-TAI using two drugs (two-drug group); 22 of them had L-TAI with three drugs (three-drug group). The survival rate of the three-drug group was superior to the one- and two-drug groups. It was concluded that TAE was not necessary for metastatic liver cancer, but L-TAI must be undertaken, because combined cancer chemotherapy enhanced the effect of L-TAI.