TREATMENT OF ADENOCARCINOMA OF THE LIVER WITH MITOMYCIN, HYALURONIDASE, AND ETHANOL - AN EXPERIMENTAL-STUDY IN THE RAT

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of intratumorally injected ethanol, mi tomycin, mitomycin with hyaluronidase, and hyaluronidase on tumor grow th in an experimental model. Methods: A suspension of 1 x 10(6) cells of chemically induced adenocarcinoma was implanted into the liver of 5 2 fats. Seven days later the rats were divided into groups according t o treatment and injected via a midline laparotomy with ethanol, mitomy cin, mitomycin with hyaluronidase, or hyaluronidase, A control group w as treated with saline, The rats were killed 7 days after treatment. T he tumor growth ratio was calculated, and the results compared for the different groups. Wilcoxon's rank sum test was used for statistical e valuation. Results: The tumor growth ratio was significantly reduced a fter injection of mitomycin (p < 0.01) but not after ethanol. Hyaluron idase alone did not reduce the tumor growth ratio and had no synergeti c effect with mitomycin. Conclusion: In an animal model intratumoral t reatment of adenocarcinoma of the liver with mitomycin was significant ly more efficient than similar treatment with saline or ethanol.