An experimental study on the pharmacokinetics of 5-Fluorouracil regional chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer.

摘要

BACKGROUND: Recently a few centers reported promising results of regional intra-arterial chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer. However, the detailed pharmacokinetics and the side effects of anticancer agents remain unclear. METHODS: Catheters were introduced into the gastroduodenal artery and the splenic artery of dogs. In group I, arterial infusion of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) was performed over 10 minutes. In group II, 5-FU was infused systemically. In group III, an intra-arterial infusion was repeated weekly three times. Blood samples and liver and pancreas tissue samples were obtained to determine 5-FU levels. In a subset of each group, the pancreas, duodenum, and liver were excised for histological analyses. RESULTS: Immediately after the infusion of 5-FU, the portal level in group I was higher than that in group II. However, the mean systemic level in group I was lower than in group II. The mean tissue concentration in the pancreas in group I was significantly higher than that of group II. Histologicalexamination revealed no microscopic alterations after treatment in all groups, including group III. CONCLUSIONS: This fundamental study suggested that intra-arterial chemotherapy of 5-FU for pancreatic cancer allows higher regional drug delivery without adverse effects on normal regions of the pancreas, the duodenum, and the liver.