RESUMEN
Nine cases of untreatable tumour in which radical surgery was employed palliatively are presented. Three hemipelvectomies for recurrent rhabdomyosarcoma were performed. In one case, death occurred postoperatively, probably as a result of pulmonary embolism. One patient survived for 8 months, while the other is still alive after three years. Of two cases in which interscapulothoracic disarticulation was performed, survivals of 9 and 5 months were observed in subjects with fibrosarcoma in a mastectomy site and recurrent sarcoma of the humerus with ling metastases. Survival to 7 months was obtained in a case of sarcoma of the maxilla, while three patients with squama cell cancer of the mouth floor, chondrosarcoma of the mandible and botryoid sarcoma of the tonsillar fossa are still living after periods of 10 months to 2 yr. Though devoid of schematic indications, palliative demolition surgery can be considered in borderline cases where the operative risk is not high. Irrespective of "quantity", the "quality" of life remaining to the patients can be made compatible with the psychophysiological limits of the human personality.
Asunto(s)
Neoplasias/cirugía , Adolescente , Adulto , Anciano , Amputación Quirúrgica , Neoplasias de la Mama/cirugía , Carcinoma/cirugía , Condrosarcoma/cirugía , Extremidades , Femenino , Fibrosarcoma/cirugía , Hemipelvectomía , Humanos , Húmero , Neoplasias Maxilomandibulares/cirugía , Masculino , Mastectomía , Persona de Mediana Edad , Neoplasias de la Boca/cirugía , Osteosarcoma/cirugía , Cuidados Paliativos , Rabdomiosarcoma/cirugíaRESUMEN
The results obtained in 153 patients suffering from advanced primary, residual, recurrent and metastatic cancers localized mainly in the cervico-cephalic district and in other sites (skin, extremities and pelvis, liver, thoracic wall, breast) in whom locoregional intraarterial chemotherapy was employed from 1967, are reported. In order of frequency, the commonest antiblastics used were Methotrexate, 5 FU, Vincristin and DITC. Long-term results show an average remission of 52% and mean survival of 11.4 months; these values are liable to wild fluctuations in relation to various factors such as site, development, state of regional lymph nodes, and any previous surgical, radiation or antiblastic therapy. Intraarterial treatment is found to have the best effect in cases of cancer which have not previously been subjected to any therapy at all, and which involve the cervico-cephalic districts, the liver and melanomas.