Percutaneous mitoxantrone injection for primary and secondary liver tumors: preliminary results.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the effects of percutaneous intratumoral chemotherapy with mitoxantrone (PIM) in the palliative treatment of malignant liver lesions.


METHODS
We treated 15 progressive lesions in nine patients in whom either previous therapy failed or serious complications developed as a result. Seven lesions were metastatic and eight were due to foci of hepatocellular carcinoma. Under computed tomography (CT) guidance, we percutaneously injected 10-20 mg of mitoxantrone mixed with 0.5 ml of contrast medium into the tumor, performing one to three treatments at intervals of 1 month.


RESULTS
There were no complications. The morphologic responses of the tumors after treatment were: minor response in one case, no change in 11 cases, progressive disease in three cases. Mitoxantrone induced tumor necrosis with no viable cancer tissue in eight of 11 biopsies. Recurrence was observed in nine of the treated lesions 2-9 months after treatment. New lesions were observed in five of nine patients 1-9 months after treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
In patients with malignant liver lesions with no other therapeutic possibilities, minimally invasive intratumoral mitoxantrone injection was carried out safely with good tumor delivery of chemotherapy, and tumor necrosis was demonstrated at biopsy. We feel this approach warrants further investigation.
Farrés
M T
MT
Department of Interventional Radiology, Institut Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France.
de Baere
T
T
Lagrange
C
C
Ramirez
L
L
Rougier
P
P
Munck
J N
JN
Roche
A
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015552:Injections, Intralesional; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008942:Mitoxantrone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016609:Neoplasms, Second Primary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D008942:Mitoxantrone