The trial will test the effectiveness of infusing the drug melphalan through the artery that feeds the liver.

Colorectal cancer patients with liver metastases are eligible for the trial if they have already had chemotherapy including irinotecan or oxaliplatin.  Limited cancer outside of the liver is acceptable if the most serious problem is within the liver itself.

Treatment involves placing catheters in both the hepatic artery and hepatic vein.  Melphalan is pumped through the hepatic artery for about  15 to 30 minutes and the liver bathed in the chemo drug (hepatic perfusion). The infusion will be repeated every 3 to 8 weeks up to 4 times.

The trial and its treatment takes place at the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, MD, just outside of Washington, DC.

There is no cost for care received at the NIH Clinical Center.  Travel expenses and reasonable costs for meals and lodging are also paid to trial participants.

Patients with primary liver cancer, neuroendocrine tumors, or liver metastases that have spread from other gastrointestinal cancers are also eligible for the trial.

For more information, you can contact:

• Itzhak Avital, MD
• Principal investigator
• Phone: 301-402-0083
• Fax: 301-496-0734
• avitali@mail.nih.gov

Or make a referral through:

• Carole Webb, RN
• Research Nurse
• Phone: 301-451-6940
• Webbcc@mail.nih.gov

More information for patients about the trial is available on the National Cancer Institute website.

NCI-04-C-0273: A Phase II Study of Hepatic Arterial Infusion of Melphalan With Venous Filtration via Peripheral Hepatic Perfusion (PHP) for Unresectable Primary and Metastatic Cancers of the Liver

R935788 or Fostamatinib, a protein kinase inhibitor, is in a Phase II clinical trial for patients with several types of advanced cancer, including colorectal cancer.  Patients whose cancer has gotten worse on previous treatment are eligible to participate.  The trial is being conducted at the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.

Patients will take fostamatinib twice a day during 4 week cycles.  They’ll see a doctor at the NIH Clinical Center at the beginning of each cycle.  Weekly blood tests and blood pressure checks can be done in an outpatient clinic or by the patient’s own doctor.

There is no charge for medical care received at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center in Bethesda. Patients need to pay their own travel costs for the first screening visit, but once enrolled, the National Cancer Institute pays for transportation to the Washington area.  During outpatient visits, NCI pays a small daily amount for for hotel and meals.

Patients are encouraged to maintain their own insurance to cover health care costs outside of the NIH Clinical Center.

To be considered for the trial, patients or their doctors should contact research nurses:

• Janelle Bingham, R.N.
• Phone: 301-435-2715
• jbingham@mail.nih.gov

or

• Mary Ann Yancey, R.N.
• Phone: 301-435-9227
• yancym@mail.nih.gov

Shivaani Kummar, MD is leading the study.  She can be reached at 301-435-5402 or  kummars@mail.nih.gov

Find more answers to  your questions about the trial.  A full description is on the NCI Clinical Trials PDQ.