[Extravasation of cytostatic agents--what is a good treatment?]

Extravasation of vesicant antitumour agents is a feared complication within oncologic therapy. The treatment is often meant to give palliation. Should extravasation occur it might further spoil the limited time many of these patients have left to live. The question is how to treat an extravasation injury without giving the patient an additional problem. The aim must be to remove the vesicant as soon as possible in a way that implies minimum morbidity and loss of function. At the Norwegian Radium Hospital, oncologists and plastic surgeons have cooperated on early surgical intervention, with good results. In our opinion, the problem arises when treatment is delayed. We present a retrospective study of 19 patients operated at the Norwegian Radium Hospital between 1986 and 1994, and discuss current methods of treatment.