Experience in Intra-operative Pelvic Hyerthermochemotherapy for Rectal Cancer

Makoto Takahashi, Shigeru Fujimoto*, Mitsuru Takai, Fumio Endoh, Kazuhide Ohno, Yoshio Masuda, Gorou Obata

Division of Surgery, Matsudo Municipal Hospital
*First Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Chiba University

To prevent local recurrence after rectal amputation, we performed intra-operative pelvic hyperthermochemotherapy (IPHC) for 13 patients with rectal cancer soon after surgery. After rectal removal, the open deperitonized pelvic cavity was filled with saline containing 40 µg of mitomicin C per ml, warmed in advance. Then, an apparatus we devised was submerged in the pelvic cavity to warm the saline and was maintained at 45°C for 90 minutes. Within the same period of time, 10 patients with rectal cancer served as controls. Throughout this IPHC treatment, the mean temperature of the esophagus was 37.2°C. An indwelling drainage tube in the pelvic cavity was removed later in the IPHC group and the drainage exudate increased in the IPHC group. Local recurrence was experienced by 2 of the controls, whereas in the IPHC group, lcal failure was nil. This IPHC is a safe, reliable treatment for preventing the development of local recurrence from residual cancer cells on the pelvic wall.

Key words
rectal cancer, intra-operative pelvic hyperthermochemotherapy, hyperthermia

Reprint requests
Makoto Takahashi Division of Surgery, Matsudo Municipal Hospital
4005 Kamihongou, Matsud, 271 JAPAN

Accepted
May 9, 1990

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