Early randomized studies comparing HAI FUDR with systemic chemotherapy or best supportive care for CRC liver metastases demonstrated higher find more response rates for HAI chemotherapy, with response rates ranging 22% to 62% versus 9% to 25% in patients treated with systemic chemotherapy (15-24). The majority of the studies were small or allowed a crossover from systemic to HAI, so only three studies showed a significant overall survival benefit Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical with HAI (20,21,24). These studies all used HAI alone without added systemic chemotherapy. Available data suggests that HAI FUDR combined with systemic

chemotherapy, including newer agents such as irinotecan and oxaliplatin, may be a promising approach to increase response and resectability rates in both untreated and previously treated patients with colorectal liver metastases. The combination of HAI and systemic treatment may also reduce Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical the risk of extrahepatic progression. Table 1 shows selected studies investigating the role of HAI plus systemic chemotherapy as conversion therapy for patients with unresectable colorectal liver metastases (25-27,29-36). HAI FUDR/dexamethasone Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical can be combined safely and effectively with systemic oxaliplatin and/or irinotecan-based regimens in this setting. At MSKCC, 49 patients who had initially unresectable liver metastases were treated with HAI FUDR/dexamethasone

plus systemic oxaliplatin and irinotecan. Fifty-three percent of these patients were already treated with systemic therapy; therefore this therapy was second or third line. Ninety-two percent of patients had a response Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical (8% complete, and 84% partial) and 47% of the patients were able to undergo resection (33). Many pre-operative studies do not describe why patients are unresectable. Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical This study clearly showed the variables precluding resection: 24% of patients with all vessels

involved, 73% with five or more liver lesions, 98% with bilobar disease, and 86% with six segments involved. Ninety percent of patients had a clinical risk score ≥3 (35). In patients who were chemotherapy naïve (n=23) 57% were able to undergo liver resection after treatment with HAI plus systemic therapy. All 23 patients had a response and the median survival was 50.8 months for these patients (33). For previously treated Thalidomide patients the response rate was 85% and the median survival was 35 months. Table 1 Selected trials investigating hepatic arterial infusion plus systemic chemotherapy for unresectable colorectal liver metastases. HAI of oxaliplatin plus systemic 5-FU/LV in patients with isolated unresectable colorectal liver metastases has been explored in several studies. Ducreux et al. (28) conducted a phase II study to evaluate concomitant administration of oxaliplatin via HAI and intravenous 5-FU/LV in 26 patients with inoperable isolated hepatic metastases from colorectal carcinoma.