Isolated lung perfusion for pulmonary metastases, a review and work in progress

Pulmonary metastasectomy is a widely accepted treatment for many patients with pulmonary metastases from various solid tumors. Nevertheless, 5-year survival is disappointing, with rates of 25-40%, and many patients develop recurrences. Isolated lung perfusion (ILuP) is a promising new technique to deliver high-dose chemotherapy to the lungs, while minimising systemic toxicities. This procedure is technically safe and feasible; however, clinical value and efficacy remain unclear. The aim of this paper is to give a review of literature on ILuP in humans, and to describe the development of the perfusion procedure in our institute.