[Improvements in placement of implantable drug delivery catheter for prevention and treatment of hepatic metastases from colorectal cancer].

Intra-arterial infusion chemotherapy was carried out using a subcutaneously implantable drug delivery system in 7 patients with rectal cancer, 5 patients with sigmoid colon cancer, 2 patients with transverse colon cancer, and 1 patient with ascending colon cancer, for prevention and treatment of hepatic metastases. The transport of intra-arterially infused drugs to the liver was examined during surgery using an infusion catheter, which was inserted by the fluorescence technique using Fluorescein-Na. The gastroepiploic artery was shifted to the abdominal wall to avoid leaving the infusion catheter as a foreign body after removal of the port. The fluorescein test, which is safe and can be performed in a short period by a simple procedure, is considered to be useful for intraoperative evaluation of the distribution of the drug to the liver. Since the infusion catheter remaining in the body after removal of the port may cause thrombosis and infection, measures to avoid leaving foreign bodies are considered to be necessary.