Intra-arterial infusion chemotherapy as a preoperative treatment of locally advanced breast cancer

Abstract

Intra-arterial infusion chemotherapy was made through the internal mammary artery and subclavian artery in 12 cases of locally advanced breast cancer. Continuous infusion of 5-fluorouracil and intermittent injections of Mitomycin C were jointly made for 1 to 4 weeks in each artery. Marked response in not only the primary tumor but also lymph node metastasis was clinically observed, permitting extended radical mastectomy successfully in all cases. Remarkable regressive changes were histologically observed in cancer foci, especially in small ones, of resected specimens including axillary, parasternal, and supraclavicular lymph nodes. All cases except 1 have been healthy without any recurrence for 22 to 78 months after treatment. Intra-arterial infusion chemotherapy with this method is a useful preliminary procedure for surgical treatment of locally advanced breast cancer.