Effects of topical chemotherapy in cancer surgery. A clinical study.

Tumor cells may be present in operative wounds during and after apparently curative resections. Numerous cytocidal agents are effective in preventing implantation of transplantable tumors. Four mg/100 ml nitrogen mustard is probably as effective as any other agent in contemporary use. There is no correlation in reported clinical studies between the incidence of tumor cells in operative wound washings and local recurrence rates. In this randomized study of 50 patients with epithelial cancers all wound washings were negative for tumor cells. There were no apparent differences in local recurrence rates or in wound complications between the experimental and control groups. There is as yet no firm clinical evidence supporting the use of topical cancer chemotherapy during cancer dissections.