[Problems with topical therapies for extensive squamous cell carcinoma of the buttocks]

In patients in whom cancer originating from a bed-sore has advanced to a stage where radical treatment is impossible, topical treatment with ointment, or systemic anti-cancer chemotherapy, is usually applied. We recently attempted treatment of extensive squamous cell carcinoma of the buttocks, for which radical treatment was impossible, by chemotherapy using a reservoir for intraarterial injection. This therapy involved intraarterial injection of bleomycin and 5-FU, together with topical treatment with 5-FU ointment. We describe the problems encountered with this therapy, e.g., measures against fever after intraarterial injection, management of the affected area, evacuation, possibility and limits of radiation therapy, and assessment of its efficacy.