Local injection of anti-cancer drugs bound to carbon particles for early gastric cancer--a pilot study.
OBJECTIVE
A new dosage formulation consisting of an anti-cancer drug bound to activated carbon particles was developed for a local injection against early gastric cancer so that the dosage formulation yields chemotherapeutic effects selectively to the lymph node metastases as well as to the primary lesion.


METHODS
As a pilot study, the new dosage formulation, total of 50-200 mg of methotrexate only or total of 200 mg of methotrexate plus 8 mg of mitomycin C, was injected into the primary lesions and the adjacent gastric wall of 8 patients with early gastric cancer, guided by a gastrofiberscope before gastrectomy. The surgically resected specimens were examined histologically for the therapeutic effects on the primary lesion and its nodal metastasis.


RESULTS
The therapeutic effects were seen in 2 of 4 lymph node metastases (50%) and 5 of 8 of the primary lesions (63%), as confirmed histologically with degeneration and/or necrosis.


CONCLUSIONS
Preoperative local injection of the new dosage formulation will be useful to give chemotherapeutic effects on the potential metastases in the regional nodes as well as to the primary lesion.
Hagiwara
A
A
First Department of Surgery, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Japan.
Torii
T
T
Sawai
K
K
Sakakura
C
C
Shirasu
M
M
Ohgaki
M
M
Imanishi
T
T
Yamasaki
J
J
Takahashi
T
T
D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002606:Charcoal; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D005743:Gastrectomy; D006801:Humans; D015552:Injections, Intralesional; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D008875:Middle Aged; D016685:Mitomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D010865:Pilot Projects; D013270:Stomach / Q000473:pathology; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery
D002606:Charcoal; D016685:Mitomycin; D008727:Methotrexate