[Arterial chemoembolization using microencapsulated anticancer drugs]

Selective intra-arterial infusion of ethylcellulose microcapsules containing anticancer drug exerts its therapeutic effects through infarction and sustained drug action (i.e., chemoembolization). Seven hundred and fifty-nine patients with malignant tumors of the liver (310), kidney (177), bladder (100), prostate (41), lung (39), pelvic organs (13), bone (4) and other (75) were treated with single or repeated chemoembolization using microcapsules delivered through percutaneous catheterization as a preoperative or palliative measure. Substantial tumor reduction of 50% was found in 18% of hepatoma, 19% renal cell carcinoma, 54% bladder carcinoma and 54% prostate carcinoma cases. Preoperative chemoembolization facilitated radical surgery for various cancers and significantly improved the survival of patients with locally invasive renal cell carcinoma and bladder carcinoma. Systemic toxic effects were mild, and all patients tolerated the treatment except for one who died of remote embolism to spleen and gallbladder. These results suggested that microcapsule chemoembolization can be successfully applied to a variety of tumors with low morbidity and mortality, and also combined with other treatments in multidisciplinary therapy.