Intra-arterial liposomal adriamycin for metastatic adenocarcinoma of the liver.

A liposome-entrapped liposome form of Adriamycin (Lip-ADM) has been demonstrated to cause less myocardial and gastrointestinal toxicity than free ADM. In the present study, Lip-ADM prepared by the remote loading method was administered to 3 patients with metastatic adenocarcinoma of the liver via a reservoir with the catheter located in the proper hepatic artery. The primary tumor was gastric cancer in 2 patients and sigmoid colon cancer in 1. Lip-ADM was administered at doses of 10, 20 or 50 mg per time. The total ADM dose was 170, 490, and 760 mg, respectively. No severe adverse effects, such as nausea, vomiting, stomatitis, alopecia or cardiotoxicity, were observed in any of the patients. Although mild leukocytopenia (2,800/microliters) was observed in 1 patient, anemia or thrombocytopenia did not occur. The survival time was respectively 6, 15, and 17 months from the start of Lip-ADM administration. A partial response was obtained in 1 patient and stable disease in 1 patient. Administration of Lip-ADM via a reservoir appears to be a useful treatment for patients with metastatic adenocarcinoma of the liver, since the low toxicity of this preparation allows an increase of the total dose of ADM.