Liver cancer and liver tumors pose a difficult challenge for oncologists. Unfortunately, it is frequently not possible to surgically remove liver tumors. Radiofrequency ablation and cryosurgical ablation are possible in patients with a limited number of tumors that are relatively small (no larger than 3 – 5 cm). Patients that are not candidates for surgical removal or ablation of their liver tumors are most often treated with chemotherapy. Intravenous administration of chemotherapy may temporarily shrink liver tumors.

Liver specialists in the Division of Surgical Oncology and Division of Transplant Surgery have opened a clinical trial to study an aggressive and novel approach to treatment of unresectable liver tumors. The treatment involves an operation in which the blood vessels that supply the liver and drain the liver are isolated to create a blood flow circuit for the liver that is separate from the rest of the body. The liver is heated to 40° C (hyperthermia) and an extremely high dose of a chemotherapy agent (melphalan) is circulated in the liver. Because the blood flow in the liver is isolated from the blood flow of the remainder of the body, only the liver itself is subjected to the high dose of chemotherapy and the hyperthermia. The hyperthermia and chemotherapy together more effectively destroy cancer than either modality alone. At the end of the operation, the normal blood flow of the liver is re-established. This procedure has been performed on over 150 patients at the National Cancer Institute, with demonstration of safety and efficacy. This clinical trial at the Massachusetts General Hospital is performed as a collaboration between liver specialists in the Surgical Oncology and Transplant surgery, and is designed to examine safety and feasibility of this treatment when performed at a center other than the National Cancer Institute. Patients with unresectable liver tumors from colon or rectal cancer, ocular melanoma, neuroendocrine tumors (including carcinoid), and cholangiocarcinoma are eligible. Patients must have no evidence of cancer outside the liver, and should not have either hepatitis or cirrhosis.

If you feel that you may be a candidate for Isolated Hepatic Perfusion for treatment of your liver tumor, please have your physician contact:

Kenneth Tanabe, MD at 617-724-3868
A. Benedict Cosimi, MD at 617-726-8256

Kenneth K. Tanabe, MD
Associate Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School
Chief, Division of Surgical Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital
Deputy Clinical Director, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center

A. Benedict Cosimi, MD
Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School
Chief, Division of Transplantation Surgery

Martin Hertl, MD
Assistant Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School