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Tertiary and Community Care Models for the Administration of Hepatic Artery Infusion Chemotherapy in Patients with Unresectable or Resectable Colorectal Liver Metastases and Unresectable Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma

Trial Status: active

This phase IIa trial compares administering hepatic artery infusion (HAI) chemotherapy via a community care model to administering at the University of Kentucky (tertiary model) for the treatment of patients with colorectal cancer that has spread to the liver that cannot be removed by surgery (unresectable colorectal liver metastases [CLM]) or that has has spread to the liver and can be removed by surgery (resectable CLM), and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (IHC) that cannot be removed by surgery (unresectable). HAI chemotherapy is a specialized treatment where chemotherapy is delivered directly into the hepatic artery (the key blood vessel that supplies blood to the liver) to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. This is done by a pump which is placed inside the body during standard surgery (surgical implantation). The pump contains a drug reservoir which is attached to a catheter (a long tube) that connects to the hepatic artery, which allows for the pump to be refilled with chemotherapy, FUDR, during the course of treatment. This causes the patient to have to routinely return to the treating facility to allow for HAI pump refills, which may be inconvenient depending on the distance to the treating facility. The community care model is a plan that allows patients to receive HAI chemotherapy at their home or at their local clinic rather than going into the treating facility, which may be further away. Giving HAI chemotherapy via a community care model may be safe, tolerable, and/or effective in treating patients with unresectable or resectable CLM and unresectable IHC.