LAUSR

AIM This single institution Phase II study evaluated drug-eluting beads loaded with irinotecan (DEBIRI) plus capecitabine in pretreated patients with colorectal cancer liver metastases. PATIENTS & METHODS Forty patients with liver-limited or liver-dominant disease, who have failed at least two previous lines of chemotherapy, underwent either four DEBIRI at 2-week interval or two DEBIRI every 4 weeks for bilobar or single-lobe metastases, respectively. Capecitabine was given at 1000 mg/m2 twice daily on days 1-14 every 3 weeks. RESULTS Seven partial responses and 12 stable diseases were observed, achieving a disease control rate of 47.5%. Median progression-free survival and overall survival resulted 4 and 8 months, respectively. Grade 3 adverse events occurred in 6/40 points (15%) of patients. CONCLUSION DEBIRI plus capecitabine is a valid treatment option for heavily pretreated patients with colorectal cancer liver metastases.