Abstract: Background: Between 1991 and 1997 sixty-seven patients with non-resectable hepatoma were treated with hepatic artery infusions (HAI) of cisplatinum. Patients were divided into groups for analysis based on alpha-fetoprotein elevation (AFP+) or no elevation (AFP-), hepatitis B/C status, the presence or absence of extra-hepatic metastases and primary treatment at our facility or initial therapy elsewhere.Methods: Forty-four patients received an initial course of 21-24 Gy whole liver external radiation with cisplatinum 50 mg/m.sup.2 IV on days 1 and 8 of radiation. Twenty-three patients did not receive external radiation and received HAI cisplatinum only. All patients were then treated with HAI cisplatinum at 50 mg/m.sup.2 on a monthly basis. The rationale for the advantage to HAI cisplatinum was evaluated by giving a tracer dose of radioactive .sup.195m cisplatinum for quantitative determinations by the intra-arterial route in six patients.