Intracavitary treatment of malignant ascitic carcinomatosis with oily anticancer agents in rats

The anticancer effects and pharmacokinetics of intraperitoneal (ip) injection were determined for doxorubicin (DOX) dissolved in a lymphographic oily contrast medium, Lipiodol Ultrafluid (Lipiodol) R (DOX/Lipiodol), using AH 130 ascitic tumor in rats. A high percentage (50%) of long-term survivors (cure) was observed with only a single ip injection of the DOX/Lipiodol on the seventh day after tumor inoculation, by which time the tumor ascites accumulated to a level similar to that seen clinically. The cure rate of this lipid formulation was much better than that for DOX dissolved in saline (DOX/saline) (17%). An immunopotentiating agent, Picibanil R , given in 1 KE (clinical unit) or 5 KE doses was no better than the saline group, indicating that the above effect was not a result of immunopotentiation by Lipiodol