RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Giving drugs in different ways may kill more tumor cells.

PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of liver perfusion using oxaliplatin plus leucovorin and fluorouracil given by infusion in treating patients who have colorectal cancer that has spread to the liver.

OBJECTIVES: I. Determine the efficacy and tolerance of oxaliplatin by hepatic perfusion combined with intravenous leucovorin calcium and fluorouracil in patients with liver metastases from colorectal cancer.

OUTLINE: Patients receive oxaliplatin by hepatic perfusion over 2 hours on day 1 plus leucovorin calcium IV over 2 hours and fluorouracil IV over 22 hours on days 1 and 2. Treatment repeats every 14 days in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. If a good response is achieved after 8 courses of chemotherapy, patients may undergo surgical resection of metastases.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 20-40 patients will be accrued for this study.

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Histologically proven colorectal cancer metastatic to the liver Unresectable disease Less than 50% invasion of the liver Measurable disease No prior irradiation Largest diameter at least 20 mm No detectable extrahepatic disease

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: Under 75 Performance status: WHO 0-2 Life expectancy: Greater than 2 months Hematopoietic: WBC at least 4,000/mm3 Neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm3 Platelet count at least 100,000/mm3 Hepatic: Bilirubin less than 35 micromoles/L Renal: Creatinine less than 130 micromoles/L Cardiovascular: No severe cardiac insufficiency Pulmonary: No respiratory disease that would preclude study Other: No other serious illness that would preclude study No psychological illness that would preclude study No peripheral neuropathy No prior malignancy not considered cured Not pregnant Fertile patients must use effective contraception

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: Not specified Chemotherapy: No prior intravenous oxaliplatin No more than 1 prior regimen of intravenous chemotherapy for metastatic disease Primary chemotherapy of fluorouracil allowed if stable or progressive disease No other concurrent chemotherapy Endocrine therapy: No concurrent hormonal therapy Radiotherapy: See Disease Characteristics Surgery: See Disease Characteristics