NEW SUPERSELECTIVE INTRAARTERIAL INFUSION VIA SUPERFICIAL TEMPORAL ARTERY FOR CANCER OF THE TONGUE AND TUMOR-TISSUE PLATINUM CONCENTRATION AFTER CARBOPLATIN (CBDCA) INFUSION

We developed a new technique of superselective intra-arterial chemothe rapy for tongue cancer using a modified (1.35 mm) angiographic cathete r. The catheter was confirmed to be inserted into the lingual artery b y the new technique. We measured the platinum concentrations in resect ed tumour tissues after infusion of carboplatin (CBDCA) at 20 mg/m(2) over 30 min from 30 min before tumour resection in 12 patients with ca ncer of the tongue (6 patients: superselective intra-arterial infusion ; 6 patients: conventional intra-arterial infusion). The mean platinum concentration in tumour tissue was 10.5 +/- 1.2 mu g/g wet, which was more than twice higher than, and significantly different from, 4.3 +/ - 3.8 mu g/g wet by the conventional intra-arterial infusion method. T his new superselective intra-arterial infusion method allows direct in fusion of the anticancer agent into the artery supplying the tumour an d is expected to become a new therapeutic modality for cancer of the t ongue. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.