Regional chemotherapy as an adjunct to surgery: an experimental study

Using the Walker 256 tumour in the hind limb of the rat as an experimental model, regional chemotherapy (isolation perfusion and intra-arterial infusion) was used as a pre-surgical adjunct in order to evaluate further the role of chemotherapy combined with surgery. There was an impressive and significant increase in the number of animals surviving free of tumour for 60 days when regional chemotherapy was carried out with triethylenethiophosphoramide (ThioTEPA). Intra-arterial infusion is a simpler procedure and affords the same improvement as does isolation perfusion.We must continue to assess critically the role of regional chemotherapy combined with surgery in human tumours.