[Portal blood levels of mitomycin C after intraperitoneal administration]

Portal blood levels of mitomycin C (MMC) were measured after intraperitoneal administration of 10 or 20 mg of mitomycin C following pancreatoduodenectomy. The portal concentration of MMC increased rapidly to the maximum concentration of 826 +/- 364 ng/ml at 5 minutes after administration, when the dosage was 20 mg (four cases). The peripheral blood levels followed the portal levels and the maximum concentration was 397 +/- 123 ng/ml at 15 minutes. Then the MMC levels of both portal and peripheral blood decreased gradually, but concentration higher than 100 ng/ml was maintained for 90 minutes after administration. In four patients given 10 mg of MMC, the patterns of the blood levels were similar, but the concentration was lower than in the group given 20 mg. In both groups, the AUC values were higher in portal than in peripheral blood. MMC administered intraperitoneally was absorbed rapidly through portal circulation and a high MMC level of portal blood was obtained. Therefore, it would prevent the dissemination of cancer cells into the liver which may well occur during operation for pancreatic carcinoma.