A patient with liver metastasis of pancreatic cancer received chemotherapy using mitomycin C and degradable starch microspheres.
The patient was a 52-year-old woman who had undergone surgery for cancer of the head of the pancreas in October 1996. She
had stage III disease and was followed up as an outpatient on oral therapy with a combined uracil and tegafur preparation.
In October 2000, abdominal computed tomography (CT) scans detected multiple liver metastases. Three courses of intra-arterial
infusion of mitomycin C and microspheres (1000 mg) resulted in regression of her tumor and a decrease of tumor marker levels.
After three more courses of this therapy, the patient developed bile duct necrosis and died of disseminated intravascular
coagulation. As her metastases were controlled for about 7 months, hepatic arterial infusion of mitomycin C and degradable
starch microspheres appears to be useful for treating liver metastasis of pancreatic cancer, but careful attention should
be paid to the risk of severe complications such as bile duct necrosis.
Key words Liver metastasis of pancreatic cancer - Degradable starch microspheres - Bile duct necrosis
Received: May 16, 2002 / Accepted: January 6, 2003
Present address 2-19-8 Kamisoshigaya, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 157-0064, Japan Tel. +81-3-3308-2477; Fax +81-3-3308-2477 e-mail: K.Katsu@col.ne.jp
Correspondence to:K. Katsumata