Hepatic Arterial Infusion of Melphalan With Hepatic Perfusion in Treating Patients With Unresectable Liver Cancer

Inclusion criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically or cytologically confirmed hepatic malignancy * Unresectable disease * Disease predominantly in the parenchyma of the liver * One of the following primary tumor histologies: * Adenocarcinoma of gastrointestinal or other origin * Neuroendocrine tumor (except gastrinoma) * Primary hepatic malignancy (e.g., hepatocellular cancer or intra-hepatic cholangiocarcinoma) * Cutaneous or ocular melanoma (patients must have received prior regional melphalan therapy) * Hepatic metastases from colorectal tumors allowed provided patient has undergone prior first-line chemotherapy, including irinotecan or oxaliplatin * Limited unresectable extrahepatic disease on preoperative radiological studies allowed if life-limiting component of progressive disease is in the liver * Limited extrahepatic disease includes, but is not limited to, the following: * Up to 4 pulmonary nodules each \< 1 cm in diameter * Retroperitoneal lymph nodes each \< 3 cm in diameter * Less than 10 skin or subcutaneous metastases each \< 1 cm in diameter * Asymptomatic bone metastases that have been or could be palliatively treated with external beam radiotherapy * Resectable solitary metastasis to any site * Hormone receptor status: * Not specified PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age * 16 and over Sex * Male or Female Menopausal status * Not specified Performance status * ECOG 0-2 Life expectancy * Not specified Hematopoietic * Platelet count ≥ 75,000/mm\^3 * Hematocrit \> 27% * Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,300/mm\^3 Hepatic * Bilirubin ≤ 2.0 mg/dL * PT ≤ 2 seconds of upper limit of normal (ULN) * AST and ALT ≤ 10 times ULN * No Childs class B or C cirrhosis * No portal hypertension by history, endoscopy, or radiologic studies Renal * Creatinine ≤ 1.5 mg/dL OR * Creatinine clearance \> 60 mL/min Cardiovascular * No congestive heart failure * LVEF ≥ 40% Pulmonary * No chronic obstructive pulmonary disease * FEV\_1 ≥ 30% of predicted * DLCO ≥ 40% of predicted Immunologic * No active infection * No severe allergic reaction to iodine contrast agent that is not controlled by premedication with antihistamines or steroids * No known hypersensitivity reaction to melphalan or heparin in the presence of a heparin induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) antibody Other * Weight \> 35 kg * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * No documented latex allergy * No evidence of intracranial abnormalities which would lead to risk for bleeding with anticoagulation (e.g., stroke or active metastasis) * No evidence of active ulcer disease PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy * More than 1 month since prior biologic therapy and recovered Chemotherapy * See Disease Characteristics * More than 1 month since prior chemotherapy and recovered Endocrine therapy * Premenopausal women (i.e., have had a period within the past 12 months) must be willing to undergo hormonal suppression during study treatment Radiotherapy * See Disease Characteristics * More than 1 month since prior radiotherapy and recovered Surgery * No prior Whipple resection Other * Prior intrahepatic perfusion (with or without arterial infusion with floxuridine) or peripheral hepatic perfusion allowed provided the patient had a radiographic partial response of 3 months' duration after therapy * No concurrent immunosuppressive drugs * No concurrent chronic anticoagulation therapy