[Effects of prophylactic intraportal chemotherapy on liver function, blood profile and survival in patients with colo-rectal cancer].
Postoperative intraportal anti-cancer chemotherapy was used for 51 patients with curatively resected colorectal cancer who were selected in the randomized controlled study to evaluate its inhibitory effect on liver metastasis from colo-rectal cancer. In cases of intraportal chemotherapy, 30 mg of Mitomycin-C (in 3 doses) and 5 mg/kg (B.W.)/day (1985-1986) or 3 mg/kg/day (1987-1988) of 5-FU was injected through the catheter inserted into the portal vein during postoperative 14 days. In cases of the control group (58 patients), the same doses of the drugs were injected into the peripheral vein during the same term. Six patients with recurrences were observed in the intraportal chemotherapy group, and 3 of them had liver metastases. In the control group, more liver metastases were observed (5 of 7 recurrences were liver metastases). Intraportally injected 5 mg/kg/day of 5-FU slightly disturbed the liver function. The averages of the serum GOT, GPT and gamma-GTP level of these cases were higher than those of the control cases. Three mg/kg/day of intraportally injected 5-FU had no influence on the liver function. There were no differences in the incidence of leukocytopenia or thrombocytopenia between the two groups.