title: The use of a vasoconstrictor to improve tumour blood flow in intra-arterial chemotherapy: preliminary report.
abstract: The effectiveness of intra-arterial chemotherapy is dependent on a high tumour to normal blood flow ratio (T/NT). This report demonstrates the use of a vasoconstrictor (NE) to improve the relative blood flow to head and neck tumours by causing vasoconstriction and decreased blood flow to normal soft tissue. Five quantitative planar Tc-MAA perfusion studies were performed on three patients with increasing dose rates of norepinephrine (NE) to determine the optimal dose in each patient that would produce the best T/NT. All patients demonstrated a change in perfusion pattern with increasing dose rates (0.1 to 15 micrograms min-1), although there was considerable variation between patients. Quantitative SPECT was performed on two patients. In one, there was a 35% increase in the T/NT and a 16% decrease in arteriovenous (A-V) shunting to the lung.
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007261:Infusions, Intra-Arterial; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013668:Technetium Tc 99m Aggregated Albumin; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D013668:Technetium Tc 99m Aggregated Albumin; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents; D009638:Norepinephrine