Surgery With or Without Hepatic Arterial Chemotherapy in Treating Patients With Liver Cancer

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as fluorouracil and cisplatin, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Giving drugs directly into the arteries around the tumor may kill more tumor cells. Giving chemotherapy after surgery may kill any remaining tumor cells. It is not yet known whether surgery and hepatic arterial chemotherapy are more effective than surgery alone in treating patients with liver cancer that has spread to the portal vein. PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is studying surgery and hepatic arterial chemotherapy to see how well they work compared to surgery alone in treating patients with liver cancer that has spread to the portal vein.