Combination Chemotherapy Plus Cetuximab in Treating Patients With Liver Metastases From Colorectal Cancer

Inclusion criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * History of completely resected primary adenocarcinoma of the colon or rectum * No gross or microscopic evidence of residual disease * Liver metastases, meeting 1 of the following criteria: * Not optimally resectable * Requires resection of all 3 major hepatic veins, the portal vein bifurcation, or the retrohepatic vena cava * Includes the main right or main left portal vein and the main hepatic vein of the opposite lobe * Requires more than a right or left trisegmentectomy * At least 6 metastatic lesions distributed diffusely in both lobes of the liver * Measurable disease * At least 1 measurable lesion ≥ 20 mm * No evidence of extrahepatic metastases by physical examination or x-ray * No previously resected extrahepatic metastases PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age * 18 and over Performance status * ECOG 0-1 Life expectancy * Not specified Hematopoietic * Hemoglobin ≥ 9 g/dL * Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm\^3 * Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3 Hepatic * AST ≤ 3 times upper limit of normal (ULN) * Bilirubin ≤ ULN * No preexisting chronic hepatic disease (e.g., chronic active hepatitis, cirrhosis) that would preclude surgical resection of metastases Renal * Creatinine ≤ 1.5 times ULN Cardiovascular * No myocardial infarction within the past 6 months * No clinical evidence of congestive heart failure * No New York Heart Association class III-IV heart disease * No significant cardiac disease * No uncontrolled hypertension * No unstable angina * No congestive heart failure * No uncontrolled arrhythmias Gastrointestinal * Adequate oral nutrition with estimated caloric intake of ≥ 1,500 calories/day * No severe anorexia or frequent nausea and/or vomiting * No history of gastrointestinal bleeding that has not been appropriately addressed Other * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * Able to tolerate major surgery * No prior allergic reaction or known sensitivity to chimerized or murine monoclonal antibody therapy * No documented presence of human anti-mouse antibodies * No known allergy to other platinum compounds * No other malignancy within the past 5 years except basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer, carcinoma in situ, or tumors associated with less than 10% probability of death within 5 years of diagnosis * No preexisting neuropathy ≥ grade 2 * No symptomatic pulmonary fibrosis or interstitial pneumonitis * No uncontrolled bacterial or viral infection * HIV negative * No fungal infection PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy * No colony-stimulating factors within 24 hours of day 1 of each course * No concurrent immunotherapy Chemotherapy * At least 1 year since prior adjuvant systemic fluorouracil with or without levamisole or with or without leucovorin calcium * No prior oxaliplatin * No prior systemic chemotherapy for metastatic disease * No prior chemoembolization for metastatic disease * No prior hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy for metastatic disease * No other concurrent chemotherapy Endocrine therapy * Not specified Radiotherapy * At least 12 months since prior adjuvant radiotherapy * Prior radiofrequency ablation allowed * No prior radiotherapy to the liver * No prior radiotherapy to more than 25% of the bone marrow * No concurrent radiotherapy Surgery * See Disease Characteristics * More than 21 days since prior abdominal exploration (with or without intestinal resection) Other * No prior anti-EGFR-directed therapy * Prior cryotherapy allowed * No oral cryotherapy on day 1 of each course