Isolated Hepatic Perfusion With Melphalan in Treating Patients With Primary Unresectable Liver Cancer or Liver Metastases

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Giving drugs in different ways may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well isolated hepatic perfusion with melphalan works in treating patients with primary unresectable liver cancer or liver metastases.

OBJECTIVES: * Determine response rate, duration of response, and patterns of recurrence in patients with primary or metastatic, unresectable cancers of the liver after treatment with isolated hepatic perfusion with melphalan. * Determine the disease-free and overall survival of patients treated with this regimen. OUTLINE: Patients who are otherwise eligible undergo an exploratory laparotomy of the peritoneal cavity. Patients with peritoneal seeding, unresectable extrahepatic metastases, or unresectable pathologically-involved lymph nodes outside area of portahepatis do not receive treatment. Remaining patients receive isolated hepatic perfusion with melphalan. Liver perfusion proceeds for 1 hour. Patients are followed at 6 weeks, every 3 months for 2 years, and then every 4 months until disease progression. PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A maximum of 67 patients will be accrued for this study.