CONTINUOUS LOCAL INJECTION OF CARBOPLATIN INTO THE UTERINE CERVIX FORCERVICAL AND ENDOMETRIAL CANCER - PRELIMINARY-STUDY

Platinum compounds are thought to be concentration-and time-dependent, but intravenous (IV) administration does not afford prolonged high pl atinum concentration in tumor tissue. In order to examine the influenc e of long-term local continuous (LC) injection of carboplatin, a pharm acokinetic study was performed. Twenty-six patients with uterine cance r were included. IV administration (11 patients): carboplatin (210 mg) was given IV and samples of target tissue were obtained at operation about 2 or 24 h after administration. LC administration (15 patients): the 21-gauge needle was implanted at the uterine cervix, and carbopla tin was injected continuously (30 mg/day) for 3, 7 or 14 days using an external pump. The tissue platinum concentration was measured in the pelvic organs. The mean platinum levels at the cervix and vaginal wall in the LC (7 days) group were higher than those in the IV (2 h) group (p < 0.01). With LC injection, sustained platinum levels were maintai ned in the pelvic organs for a long time, with very few side effects. LC injection may be advantageous on the basis of pharmacokinetics.