[Long-term arterial infusion chemotherapy in unresectable pancreatic cancer]

Four patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer and one with metastatic liver tumor after curative pancreatic resection for carcinoma of the pancreas had undergone intra-arterial infusion chemotherapy using an implantable drug delivery system. Concentration of the anti-cancer drug (CDDP) was measured in the specimen of cancer tissue obtained following intra-arterial infusion of the drug with angiotensin II. The concentration of the drug was 1.3 times higher in the cancer tissue than in the adjacent normal tissue in two of three patients. No remarkable response was observed in terms of tumor size and survival time. However, the value of CA 19-9 was reduced considerably after chemotherapy in two cases. Intra-arterial chemotherapy using a drug delivery system can be carried out safely and easily even in the outpatient department and can contribute to the quality of life and prognosis of patients.