Oxaliplatin and Capecitabine With or Without an Hepatic Arterial Infusion With Floxuridine in Treating Patients Who Are Undergoing Surgery and/or Ablation for Liver Metastases Due to Colorectal Cancer

Overview

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as oxaliplatin, capecitabine, and floxuridine, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Hepatic arterial infusion uses a catheter to carry tumor-killing substances, such as chemotherapy, directly into the liver. Giving chemotherapy in different ways may kill more tumor cells. It is not yet known whether giving oxaliplatin and capecitabine together with an hepatic arterial infusion with floxuridine is more effective than giving oxaliplatin and capecitabine alone in treating patients who are undergoing surgery and/or ablation for liver metastases due to colorectal cancer. PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is studying oxaliplatin, capecitabine, and an hepatic arterial infusion with floxuridine to see how well they work compared to oxaliplatin and capecitabine in treating patients who are undergoing surgery and/or ablation for liver metastases due to colorectal cancer.

OBJECTIVES: Primary * Compare progression-free interval (PFI) in patients undergoing surgical resection and/or ablation for hepatic metastases from colorectal cancer treated with adjuvant therapy comprising oxaliplatin and capecitabine with vs without hepatic arterial infusion of floxuridine. Secondary * Compare overall survival and liver PFI between the two treatment groups. * Assess toxicity in each of the treatment regimens. * Compare self-reported symptoms between two treatment groups. * Compare quality of life in each of the treatment regimens. Tertiary * Examine the prognostic worth, in terms of PFI, of specific molecular markers in hepatic metastases. OUTLINE: This is a randomized study. Patients are stratified according to intended surgical technique (surgical resection alone vs cryoablation or radiofrequency ablation \[RFA\] alone vs combination of resection and ablation) and prior adjuvant chemotherapy regimen (chemotherapy with vs without oxaliplatin vs no chemotherapy). Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 treatment arms. All patients undergo surgical resection and/or hepatic cryoablation or RFA to remove a maximum of 6 colorectal hepatic metastases. Patients randomized to arm II also undergo intra-arterial catheter and if applicable, pump placement. * Arm 1 (oxaliplatin and capecitabine): Within 4-6 weeks after surgery and/or ablation, patients receive oxaliplatin IV over 2 hours on day 1 and oral capecitabine twice daily on days 1-14. Treatment repeats every 21 days for 8 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. * Arm 2 (oxaliplatin, capecitabine, and hepatic arterial infusion of floxuridine): Within 4-6 weeks after surgery and/or ablation, patients receive a continuous hepatic arterial infusion of floxuridine on days 1-14, oxaliplatin IV over 2 hours on day 22, and oral capecitabine twice daily on days 22-35. Treatment repeats every 42 days for 4 courses in the absence of unacceptable toxicity. Beginning with course 5, patients receive oxaliplatin IV over 2 hours on day 1 and oral capecitabine twice daily on days 1-14. Treatment with oxaliplatin and capecitabine repeats every 21 days for 4 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Quality of life is assessed at baseline, 4-6 weeks after surgery or ablation, approximately 18 weeks after beginning of chemotherapy, and 4-6 weeks after beginning the last cycle of chemotherapy. After completion of study treatment, patients are followed periodically. PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 400 patients will be accrued for this study.