USE OF AN IMPLANTABLE CATHETER SYSTEM FOR INTRAPERITONEAL CHEMOTHERAPY IN OVARIAN-CANCER

To check the efficiency of intraperitoneal chemotherapy of ovarian car cinomas, 15 patients were treated with instillations of mitoxantrone o r cisplatinum. An implantable catheter system was used to access the a bdominal cavity. Local therapy proved to be without any effect when la rge tumor masses were treated. Patients with small tumor residues afte r surgery did not benefit either, partly because of extraperitonal pro gress of the disease. Patients without evidence of disease proved to b e stable. Side effects of the therapy were usually mild compared with those of systemic chemotherapy. Access to the peritoneal cavity with t he implantable catheter proved to be safe and reliable.