Technical aspects of intraperitoneal chemotherapy in abdominal carcinomatosis

Between November 1983 and July 1985, 41 patients with abdominal carcinomatosis had peritoneal catheters surgically implanted for the purpose of intraperitoneal chemotherapy. Peritoneal fluid distribution was documented by computerized tomography examination prior to chemotherapy and was correlated with the surgical procedure performed and the pathological findings. In this series, peritoneal fluid distribution appeared to be an important prognostic factor in determining tumor response. The catheter-related complication rate was acceptable.