A COMPARATIVE-STUDY ON EFFECTS OF DOXORUBICIN ALONE OR MIXED WITH LIPIODOL GIVEN THROUGH THE HEPATIC-ARTERY OR PORTAL-VEIN FOR LIVER-TUMORSIN RATS

Vascular feeding of metastatic liver tumors at early stage is uncertai n. It is controversial whether anticancer agents should be given throu gh the hepatic artery or portal vein. In order to clarify this point, a rat model of liver metastases generated by an intraportal injection of syngeneic tumor cells was used to determine the optimal regional ch emotherapeutic modality for early hepatic metastases. The rats given t he tumor cells through the portal vein were placed into 5 groups: In g roups I and II, Adriamycin (ADR) 4 mg/kg alone was given either into t he hepatic artery or into the portal vein, respectively, 24 h after th e inoculation of tumor cells. In groups III and IV, ADR mixed with lip iodol (lipiodolized ADR) 4 mg/kg was given into the hepatic artery or into the portal vein, respectively, 24 h after inoculation. For the gr oup V rats, no treatment was given after inoculation of the tumor. Whe n a comparison was made with regard to the forms of anticancer drug ad ministered, statistically significant differences in survival rates we re recognized between groups I and III (p < 0.001), and groups II and IV (p < 0.05). The anticancer agent not mixed with lipiodol and given through the hepatic artery had a more preventive effect than that give n through the portal vein. Thus, we conclude that administration of AD R not mixed with lipiodol and given through the hepatic artery is the preferred modality for treating early metastatic liver tumors.