Radiopaque oil chemical arterial embolization in treatment of pancreatic cancer

: The article is dedicated to a new method of treatment of pancreatic cancer, developed by researchers of St. Petersburg Research Institute of Roentgenology and Radiotherapy. The method consists in slowing down blood flow in the tumor by means of selective embolization of its arteries using a mixture of the chemiotherapeutic agent gemcitabine (Gemzar) in the oily radio-paque medium Lipodol Ultrafluid. Upon entering microcirculatory vessels, the agent diffuses into pancreatic tissue. This tumor chemoinfiltration provides prolonged contact between tumor tissue and the chemoembolization agent, thus allowing strong antitumor effect without high systemic toxicity. Experimental studies on 12 dogs have proved that oil arterial chemoembolization with lipiodol does not cause morphological changes in the pancreas, and is only manifested by short and reversible hyperenzymemia.