Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy

Excerpt

Direct instillation of chemotherapeutic agents into the peritoneal cavity of patients with intra-abdominal malignancies is intended to increase drug levels at the predominant sites of disease, thereby resulting in more cytotoxicity than can be achieved with systemic drug administration. Intraperitoneal chemotherapy has been studied most extensively in ovarian cancer, a disease that remains largely confined to the abdominal cavity throughout its course. In early studies a small volume of drug was directly injected into the peritoneal cavity to control malignant ascites. Recent clinical trials have used a large volume of drug (approximately 2 L) to ensure uniform drug distribution throughout