Intraperitoneal cisplatin plus epinephrine and surgical debulking for the treatment of advanced peritoneal carcinomatosis in the rat

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate and compare the effects of cytoreductive surgery with intraperitoneal cisplatin and epinephrine on peritoneal carcinomatosis in the rat. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty-day old peritoneal carcinomatosis was obtained after intraperitoneal injection of 1 x 10(6) DHD/K12/PROb cells into BDIX rats. The surgical treatment included electric fulguration of the peritoneal tumors with spleen and omentum removal while intraperitoneal chemotherapy included platinum (3 mg/kg) associated with epinephrine (2 mg/kg). RESULTS: Surgery did not increase rat survival unlike cisplatin or cisplatin/epinephrine chemotherapy. Intraperitoneal chemotherapy alone with cisplatin +/- epinephrine increased survival but did not provide cure. Surgery followed by intraperitoneal cisplatin and epinephrine cured four out of five twenty-day old peritoneal carcinomatosis. CONCLUSION: Surgery combined with intraperitoneal cisplatin and epinephrine could be an efficient treatment for peritoneal carcinomatosis in man.