Combination Chemotherapy With or Without Chemoembolization in Treating Patients With Colorectal Cancer Metastatic to the Liver (6655)

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as irinotecan, fluorouracil, and leucovorin, work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping the cells from dividing. Chemoembolization kills tumor cells by blocking the blood flow to the tumor and keeping chemotherapy drugs near the tumor. It is not yet known if chemoembolization is more effective than standard chemotherapy in treating metastatic cancer.
PURPOSE: This phase I trial and randomized phase III trial is studying the effectiveness of chemoembolization in treating patients who have colorectal cancer metastatic to the liver.