CLINICAL OUTCOME OF INTRAOPERATIVE PELVIC HYPERTHERMOCHEMOTHERAPY FORPATIENTS WITH DUKES-C RECTAL-CANCER

In attempts to prevent local recurrence after curative resection for r ectal cancer, intraoperative pelvic hyperthermochemotherapy (IOPHC) wa s prescribed for 27 patients with Dukes' C cancer. The procedures used were as follows: immediately after amputation or resection of the rec tum with extended lymphadenectomy, the pelvic cavity was filled with p hysiological saline containing 40 mu g/ml mitomycin C, which was warme d at 45 degrees C for 90 min with an apparatus devised for IOPHC. Thir ty-five patients who underwent surgery alone for Dukes' C rectal cance r within the same period served as controls. There was a local recurre nce in three patients in the IOPHC group (11.1%), and in 13 in the con trol group (37.1%). With regard to hepatic or pulmonary metastasis, th ere was no difference between the two groups. There was no morbidity i n the IOPHC treatment except for a large volume of exudate from the pe lvic cavity. Thus, IOPHC can be considered as one option for limiting local recurrence after surgical resection of an advanced rectal cancer .