Limits of aortic stop flow infusion chemotherapy in the treatment of advanced cancer

Background. Advanced and relapsed tumors remain a challenging disease with a poor and dismal prognosis. Our choice for inoperable tumors consists in a percutaneous treatment strategy involving intra-arterial chemotherapy and hemofiltration, with previous blood stop-flow, which allows high doses of C isplatin-cisplatinum, cis-diammine-dichloroplatinum (CDDP) and Mitomycin C (MMC) in the tumor-bearing area with minimal systemic toxicity. Methods. We analyse the morbidity and mortality associated with stop-flow i n 20 patients with unresectable and/or metastatic thoracoabdominal tumors, non responders to prior systemic chemotherapy. Results. In our experience, the rate of major side effects of the procedure was 31% with a mortality of 5%. The side effects were related to the radio logical procedure and to the chemotherapic treatment. A 74-year-old patient died for acute kidney toxicity within 15 days after the procedure. The oth er transient toxicity symptoms recorded were: nausea, vomiting, increasing of creatinine levels, diplopia and appearance of necrotic ulcer associated to chemotherapic drugs. Concerning the complications related to the radiolo gical technique, the main problem was the rupture of the balloon stop-flow catheter in four patients. Conclusions. Stop-flow is a new procedure that could develop in the future, thanks to the possibility of obtaining a higher dose intensity of chemothe rapic drugs in districts or organs affected by advanced tumors, with less s ystemic side effects. Unfortunately, the uncertain results in terms of incr easing survival and the default of effective devices are to be resolved for a wider application of the procedure.