Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Histologically confirmed metastatic colorectal adenocarcinoma

- Primary colorectal adenocarcinoma that has been completely resected (R0 disease)

- No evidence of residual, viable tumor by abdominal/pelvic helical CT scan
or MRI with IV contrast

- Metastatic disease

- No more than 9 liver metastases

- All lesions completely resected or completely treated by ablation (with or
without resection)

- All lesions treated by ablation must have been less than 5 cm in size
and at least 5 mm away from main/left/right portal vein, common bile
duct, and inferior vena cava

- All resected lesions must have a negative surgical margin (R0)

- Disease progression after prior systemic irinotecan for metastatic disease allowed

- No extrahepatic metastases confirmed by chest CT scan except colorectal mesenteric
lymph node metastases resected at the time of primary tumor resection

- No other prior resection of extrahepatic metastases

- Must have the entire liver remnant perfused with a single catheter

- Must have a nuclear medicine macro-aggregated albumin flow scan to confirm the area
of pump perfusion before study registration

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

- 18 and over

Performance status

- ECOG 0-2 OR

- Zubrod 0-2

Life expectancy

- Not specified

Hematopoietic

- WBC at least 3,000/mm^3

- Absolute granulocyte count at least 1,500/mm^3

- Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm^3

- Platelet count at least 100,000/mm^3

Hepatic

- Bilirubin no greater than 2 mg/dL

- Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 2.0 times upper limit of normal (ULN)

- AST and ALT no greater than 2.0 times ULN

- No active hepatitis B or C infection

- No histological evidence of cirrhosis

Renal

- Creatinine no greater than 1.5 times ULN

- Calcium less than 1.3 times ULN

Other

- Not pregnant or nursing

- Negative pregnancy test

- Fertile patients must use effective contraception

- Postmenopausal women must be amenorrheic for at least 12 consecutive months to
be deemed not fertile

- Medically fit to begin chemotherapy between 4 and 8 weeks after surgery

- Prior cancer allowed if all of the following criteria are met:

- Undergone potentially curative therapy for all prior malignancies

- No other malignancy within the past 5 years except the following:

- Effectively treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer

- Carcinoma in situ of the cervix that has been effectively treated by
surgery alone

- Lobular carcinoma in situ of the ipsilateral or contralateral breast
treated by surgery alone

- No evidence of recurrence of any prior malignancy

- No prior hepatic arterial infusion pump malfunction, malperfusion, or infection

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

- No concurrent immunologic or biologic therapy

Chemotherapy

- No prior chemotherapy within 4 weeks before hepatic resection or hepatic ablation
(with or without resection)

- No prior hepatic arterial infusion with fluorouracil or floxuridine

Endocrine therapy

- Not specified

Radiotherapy

- No concurrent adjuvant radiotherapy to the pelvis

- No other concurrent radiotherapy

Surgery

- See Disease Characteristics

Other

- No other concurrent systemic therapy