Intraarterial infusion chemotherapy (5-fluorouracil) in patients with inextirpable or locally recurrent rectal cancer.

A retrospective analysis of the results of treatment of advanced rectal cancer of the pelvis with regional intraarterial infusion of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) is reported. A special technic for positioning the catheters selectively in the internal iliac arteries justifies this analysis. Four patients with primary inextirpable rectal cancer and 10 patients with locally recurrent rectal cancer have been treated. No immediate mortality was noted. Relief of pain was noted in two-thirds of the patients. An objective tumor response was noted in three patients with locally recurrent disease. In one patient with primary inoperable cancer it was possible to extirpate the tumor after infusion therapy. An improvement in quality of life during the first 2 months after therapy was achieved in half of the patients as judged by their performance. Complications were not serious. Hematomas with infection were seen in one patient, two patients had septicemia, and three patients had transient oliguria. Transient thrombocytopenia was reported in two patients. The results indicate that infusion therapy produces a reasonable response such as palliation of pain. Only minor complications were seen and easily controlled. The advantages of infusion therapy are that it can be given in a reasonable time with only a short hospital stay.