Arterial infusion chemotherapy in far advanced cancer

From 1978 to 1994, more than 2000 advanced cancers were treated by arterial infusion chemotherapy in the Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Medical College Hospital. During these 16 years there are a lot of improvements in arterial therapy. The catheter changed from external catheter to implantable port catheter system. The infusion pump changed from spring driven pump to more accurate battery operated electric pump. But the principle of the higher the regional tumor drug exposure, the better the treatment result is the same. There are 3 main factors affecting the successful treatment, proper placement of the catheter, suitable selection of the drugs and adequate regional tumor blood supply. The first two factors can be improved by learning and experience. However, we can do little about the third one. The blood supply of the tumor had decided most of the outcome of the treatment. Those tumors over locations with very rich blood supply such as cancers of head, breast, external genitals and hands, always respond better to chemotherapy no matter the drugs were given regionally or systemically. Of course if the anticancer drug was administered by arterial route, very high concentration of anticancer drug can be delivered to the tumor region to induced rapid shrinkage of the tumor within a relative short time.