Are there indications for intraarterial hepatic chemotherapy or isolated liver perfusion? The case of liver metastases from colorectal cancer

Early effect of hepatic artery TNF-alpha infusion on systemic hemodynamics and inflammation: a dose-response study in pigs

PURPOSE

Therapy of unresectable hepatic metastases may include tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha treatment. Because of its serious systemic side effects, TNF-alpha is only used in isolated hepatic perfusion. This, however, is a technically demanding procedure with a substantial mortality rate. The infusion of TNF-alpha via the hepatic artery without hepatic isolation would be less invasive. Systemic side effects, however, have not been studied yet. Therefore, we evaluated in pigs the effects of TNF-alpha hepatic artery infusion (HAI) on systemic hemodynamics, inflammation, and organ injury.

METHODS

Animals were randomized in three groups. In group 1, HAI was performed with 0.9% NaCl (n = 6). In group 2, 20 microg/kg TNF-alpha (n = 6), and in group 3, 40 microg/kg TNF-alpha (n = 6) were added. HAI was performed over 15 min, followed by 120 min of observation. Finally, 250 ml hydroxyethylstarch (HAES; 6%) was administered for resuscitation and hemodynamics were analyzed for another 30 min.

RESULTS

Hepatic artery TNF-alpha infusion did not cause complications such as bleeding, cardiac depression, pulmonary dysfunction, or SIRS. TNF-alpha induced a 30% decrease of MAP and systemic vascular resistance, as well as a rise in heart rate and endexspiratory pCO(2). TNF-alpha also moderately (10-20%) lowered the cardiac preload and induced a metabolic acidosis, which, however, could easily be controlled. TNF-alpha HAI did not induce liver toxicity, and all hemodynamic changes normalized either spontaneously within the 120-min observation period, or, at least, after HAES resuscitation.

CONCLUSIONS

TNF-alpha-based HAI, which may represent a minimally invasive alternative to isolated hepatic perfusion, can be performed without early systemic hemodynamic complications.

Hepatic vascular isolation and perfusion for patients with progressive unresectable liver metastases from colorectal carcinoma refractory to previous systemic and regional chemotherapy

BACKGROUND

Many patients with colorectal carcinoma develop unresectable metastases confined to the liver that remain the life-limiting component of disease despite best available systemic or regional chemotherapy. In the current study, the authors present their results using vascular isolation and perfusion of the liver for individuals with progressive, unresectable liver metastases from colorectal carcinoma that were refractory to both previous systemic and regional chemotherapy.

METHODS

Seven patients with refractory, progressive, unresectable colorectal carcinoma metastases confined to the liver underwent a 60-minute hyperthermic (39-40 degrees C) isolated hepatic perfusion (IHP) and were followed for toxicity, response, and survival.

RESULTS

There was no surgical- or treatment-related mortality; all patients experienced transient Grade 3-4 (according to National Cancer Institute common toxicity criteria) hepatic toxicity. At a median potential follow-up of 16 months, the overall objective radiographic response rate (all partial responses) was 71% (5 of 7 assessable patients). It is interesting to note that two patients who were treated with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alone demonstrated no response to therapy compared with all five patients who were treated with melphalan and TNF (three patients) or melphalan alone (two patients). For the 5 patients who responded to treatment, the median duration of response was 10 months (range, 10-13 months) and in all 7 patients the mean overall survival was 19.7 months (range, 2-33 months), including 5 months and 7.5 months, respectively, for the 2 patients treated with TNF alone.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of the current study demonstrate that IHP using melphalan with or without TNF has significant antitumor activity in this patient population. IHP deserves continued clinical evaluation as a therapeutic modality for patients with unresectable colorectal carcinoma metastases to the liver.

Continuous angiotensin II infusion increases tumour: normal blood flow ratio in colo-rectal liver metastases

Insufficient blood flow within colo-rectal hepatic metastases is a factor which may limit drug delivery to, and thus the response of, these tumours to regional chemotherapy. Loco-regional flow may be manipulated pharmacologically to enhance the tumour blood flow relative to that of the normal liver. However, as yet, only transient effects have been studied. Patients receiving regional chemotherapy for unresectable hepatic disease were given a 45 min regional infusion of the vasoconstrictor Angiotensin II. Intrahepatic blood flow distribution was assessed serially by Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging together with the trapping tracer copper(II) pyruvaldehyde bis(N-4-methylthiosemicarbazone) (Cu-PTSM) labelled using copper-62. Eleven lesions in nine patients were studied, with no adverse effects. Prior to Angiotensin II administration tumour blood flow was generally found to be greater than that of liver (10/11 lesions; 8/9 patients; median TNR 1.3, iqr 0.9-2.5). A significant increase in relative flow to tumour was seen in response to 10 min Angiotensin II infusion in most cases (7/11 lesions; 7/9 patients; median TNR 2.1, iqr 1.4-4.1; P = 0.008), which appeared to be sustained throughout the 45 min infusion period (median TNR 1.85, iqr 1.3-3.8; P = 0.03). These effects were accompanied by transient elevation of mean arterial pressure, but no change in pulse rate. These observations suggest that prolonged regional vasoconstrictor administration could prove useful in the management of unresectable colo-rectal hepatic metastases, and that further development of vascular manipulation to enhance tumour targeting and drug delivery is warranted.

Biodistribution of charged 17.1A photoimmunoconjugates in a murine model of hepatic metastasis of colorectal cancer

Optimizing photodynamic therapy involves attempting to increase both the absolute tumour content of photosensitizer and the selectivity between tumour and surrounding normal tissue. One reason why photodynamic therapy has not been considered suitable for treatment of metastatic tumours in the liver, is the poor selectivity of conventional photosensitizers for tumour compared to normal liver. This report details an alternative approach to increasing this selectivity by the use of antibody-targeted photosensitizers (or photoimmunoconjugates) to target intrahepatic tumours caused by human colorectal cancer cells in the nude mouse, and explores the role of molecular charge on the tumour-targeting efficiency of macromolecules. The murine monoclonal antibody 17.1A (which recognizes an antigen expressed on HT 29 cells) was used to prepare site-specific photoimmunoconjugates with the photosensitizer chlorine6. The conjugates had either a predominant cationic or anionic charge and were injected i.v. into tumour-bearing mice. Biodistribution 3 or 24 h later was measured by extraction of tissue samples and quantitation of chlorine6 content by fluorescence spectroscopy. The photoimmunoconjugates were compared to the polylysine conjugates in an attempt to define the effect of molecular charge as well as antibody targeting. The anionic 17.1A conjugate delivered more than twice as much photosensitizer to the tumour at 3 h than other species (5 times more than the cationic 17. 1A conjugate) and had a tumour:normal liver ratio of 2.5. Tumour-to-liver ratios were greater than one for most compounds at 3 h but declined at 24 h. Tumour-to-skin ratios were high (> 38) for all conjugates but not for free chlorine6. Cationic species had a high uptake in the lungs compared to anionic species. The photoimmunoconjugates show an advantage over literature reports of other photosensitizers, which can result in tumour:normal liver ratios of less than 1.

Significance of duplex/colour Doppler sonography in hepatic arterial chemotherapy for patients with liver metastases from colorectal carcinoma

AIMS

The aim of the study was to evaluate the importance of duplex/colour Doppler ultrasound in a protocol of hepatic regional chemotherapy, by measuring the blood flow in the hepatic artery, portal vein, hepatic veins, and inferior caval vein of patients with unresectable liver metastases from colorectal carcinoma.

METHODS

Thirty-nine consecutive subjects were selected for this study, including 21 patients who had unresectable histologically confirmed liver metastases from colorectal carcinoma (Group A), and 18 asymptomatic volunteers as normal controls (Group B). All subjects of Groups A and B were examined using duplex/colour Doppler sonography. After the ultrasound study, all patients of Group A were submitted to the administration of high dose mitomycin C into the hepatic artery, with concomitant detoxication of post-hepatic venous blood.

RESULTS

The mean value of the hepatic artery blood flow was significantly higher (P=0.0009) in liver metastases patients (361 ml/min, SEM=24 ml/min) than in normal controls (245 ml/min, SEM=20 ml/min). Also, the mean Doppler perfusion index was higher in liver metastases patients than in normal controls. For each patient of Group A, the total dose of mitomycin C to be infused was calculated based on the blood flow in the hepatic artery. In this way the concentration of mitomycin C in the hepatic artery was always greater than 3 microg/ml. The duration of detoxication was calculated based on the blood flow in the inferior caval vein. For two patients only, the blood flow was lower than 1000 ml/min, with the necessity to protract the duration of detoxication over 2 hours.

CONCLUSIONS

The measurement of the blood flow in hepatic vessels of patients with liver metastases seems to be very important in establishing the total dose of drug which has to be infused in hepatic arterial chemotherapy, and to determine the duration of concomitant detoxication of post-hepatic venous blood.