Endolymphatic chemotherapy in gynecologic cancer.

Bleomycin oil suspension was infused preoperatively into the bilateral pedal lymphatic vessels of 18 patients with cancer of the vulva, uterine cervix, and endometrium. The object of this technique was to reduce the number of local recurrences in pelvic and abdominal lymph nodes. Except in the case of two patients, it was possible to infuse both extremities. Side effects of the treatment were generally mild. In a postoperative study of the surgical specimens, metastases were found in 18 lymph nodes. All of these showed selective necrosis of existing metastases and conservation of the morphology of healthy nodes. Necrosis of the primary tumor was occasionally produced.