REGIONAL INTRAARTERIAL INFUSION OF METHOTREXATE WITH LEUCOVORIN RESCUE IN A RAT-TUMOR MODEL

Walker 2S6 carcinosarcoma was transplanted in the paw of 52 male Wista r mts. A week later, the animals were divided into 6 separate groups a nd treated in different ways, as follows. Group I (control): no treatm ent. Group II: femoral artery ligation (FAL). Group III: ligation-intr aarterial chemotherapy (LIC) with methotrexate (MTX). Group IV: the sa me treatment followed by leucovorin rescue (LIC + RES). Group V: tourn iquet intraarterial chemotherapy and rescue (TIC + RES). Group VI: the same treatment applied via the iliac artery (iliac TIC + RES). The be st results (primary tumor eradication: 8/10 cases, propagation of the tumor to the inguinal region: 4/10 cases, necroses of the distal part of the paw: 0/10 cases, p > 0.05) were observed in group VI, where ili ac LIC + RES was performed Analysis of the treatment's mechanism of ac tion revealed that there is an area of optimal treatment in the middle of the limb, and two peripheral zones of under-treatment. At the prox imal zone (inguinal region) propagation of the tumor can occur, wherea s at the distal zone necrosis of the paw can be manifested.