Liver metastases from colon cancer may be treated with combination chemotherapy , but because of the particular biological properties of some colon cancers, patients may develop liver metastases without ever having other sites of tumor involvement. Patients with such limited cancer may benefit from chemotherapy infused directly into the liver. Delivered by an implanted pump connected to the hepatic artery, this therapy takes advantage of the liver's ability to metabolize some drugs, meaning that the tumor may be exposed to high concentrations of chemotherapy while the rest of the body is spared the side effects.
This approach initially requires surgery for the implantation of the arterial access device and the removal of the gall bladder, but the rest of the therapy can be done on an outpatient basis. The treatment causes tumor regression more often than standard chemotherapy.
Investigational
• New combinations of chemotherapy drugs may improve results for patients with colon cancer metastases,
both to the liver and elsewhere. Such treatments are being studied for systemic treatment as well as for
treatment to the liver.
• A treatment called chemoembolization involves administering a combination of chemotherapy and colloid
particles directly into the liver tumor via its main (hepatic) artery. The procedure is performed by a radiologist
and does not require surgery or prolonged bedrest. It is very effective for primary tumors, but it is much less
