Radiofrequency Ablation Followed By Hepatic Artery Chemotherapy in Treating Patients With Colorectal Cancer That Has Spread to the Liver

RATIONALE: Radiofrequency ablation may be able to shrink or destroy cancer cells. Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Chemotherapy delivered directly into the blood vessels of the liver may prevent new tumors from growing. Combining these therapies may be an effective treatment for colorectal cancer that has spread to the liver. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of radiofrequency ablation followed by chemotherapy delivered directly into the blood vessels of the liver in treating patients who have colorectal cancer that has spread to the liver.

OBJECTIVES: I. Determine the safety and efficacy of radiofrequency tissue ablation followed by hepatic arterial chemotherapy with floxuridine and fluorouracil in patients with colorectal cancer metastatic to the liver. OUTLINE: Patients undergo an open laparotomy to identify the target tumor in the liver using intraoperative ultrasound followed by radiofrequency tissue ablation over 20 minutes to each tumor and placement of hepatic arterial catheter. Within 35 days postoperatively, patients receive hepatic arterial chemotherapy consisting of floxuridine on days 1-7 and fluorouracil over 1 hour on days 15, 22, and 29. Treatment repeats every 5 weeks for 6 courses. Patients are followed at 1 month, every 3 months for 2 years, every 6 months for 3 years, and then annually thereafter. PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 42 patients will be accrued for this study.