[Local chemotherapy of cancer. Intrathecal administration]

Intrathecal chemotherapy is inevitable method for the treatment of seeding of malignant brain tumors which appears in high incidence. The therapy is performed by means of lumbar tap, intraventricular or intratumorous administration, or ventriculo-cisternal perfusion. The same methods are applied to the treatment of original tumor mass as well. The main drugs used for the therapy are methotrexate and cytosine arabinoside. The causes of limitations of the method are the adverse effects of drugs and their short distance of diffusion penetrating into the tumor tissue. Local or intrathecal administration of Interferon could be reached high levels in the cerebrospinal fluid without severe side-effect. 7 out of 22 cases (31.8%) of malignant glioma responded to the local therapy with Interferon. Intrathecal Interferon therapy also revealed marked effect on the disseminated medulloblastoma. Intrathecal therapy should become much more important method including application to the immunotherapy in the future.