ANATOMIC CHANGES IN THE ABDOMINAL-CAVITY DURING INTRAPERITONEAL CHEMOTHERAPY - PROSPECTIVE-STUDY USING SCINTIGRAPHIC PERITONEOGRAPHY

Twenty-one patients undergoing either adjuvant or palliative intraperi toneal (ip) chemotherapy had repeated scintigraphic peritoneographies. Significant scintigraphic ip changes were recorded in 11 patients (52 %). In patients without residual disease at the time of ip chemotherap y, the rate of ip mal-distribution reached 70%. These alterations did not correlate with clinical complications. Our study suggested that, i ndependently of clinical assessment, scintigraphic peritoneography is a useful test for identifying patients who are no longer suitable for ip treatment, due to inadequate locoregional distribution.