[Clinical studies of 16 cases of carcinomatous pericarditis]

We studied the effects of local therapy on cardiac tamponade caused by carcinomatous pericarditis in 16 cases. Five out of 16 cases (drainage group) received treatment by only drainage of pericardial effusion, and the remaining 11 cases (infusion group) had local infusion of antineoplastic agents into the pericardium after drainage. The median survival time was 16 weeks in the infusion group and 19 weeks in the drainage group. There was no statistically significant difference. Reaccumulation of pericardial effusion was recognized in 3 patients in the drainage group (60%), and in 3 patients in the infusion group (18%). Our conclusion was that local infusion had no effect on prolongation of the survival time, but had a suppressive effect on reaccumulation of pericardial effusion.