Complications following balloon-occluded arterial infusion chemotherapy for pelvic malignancies

Purpose: To evaluate the incidence and causes of complications associated w ith balloon-occluded arterial infusion chemotherapy (BOAI) for pelvic malig nancies. Methods: In 34 courses of BOAI in 22 patients with pelvic malignancies, we analyzed the incidence of complications as well as the effect of the dose o f the anticancer drugs, the infusion site, and the number of BOAI administr ations on these complications. Complications were divided into two categori es: cystitis-like symptoms and neurological complications such as pain, num bness, and paresthesia of the lower extremities and the hip. Results: Eleven patients (50%) suffered from complications, seven (31.8%) f rom neurological complications and four (18.2%) from cystitis-like symptoms . The complications appeared in 14 courses (42.4%) of BOAI, neurological co mplications in 10 (30.3%) and cystitis-like symptoms in four (12.1%). A hig h dose of anti-cancer drugs and infusion from the anterior division tended to induce neurological complications more frequently; however, the cystitis -like symptoms were not related to any factors. Conclusion: Our results indicate that a smaller dose of anticancer drugs sh ould be infused from the bilateral internal iliac arteries for safer pelvic BOAI.