Topical dimethylsulfoxide for the prevention of soft tissue injury after extravasation of vesicant cytotoxic drugs: a prospective clinical study.

PURPOSETo evaluate the activity and tolerability of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) in the prevention of soft tissue toxicity after extravasation of cytotoxic drugs.PATIENTS AND METHODSFrom June 1991 to December 1994, all patients who had an extravasation during intravenous (IV) infusion of cytotoxic drugs in our institution were considered for an open, prospective study of preventive treatment with 99% DMSO, applied topically on the extravasation site every 8 hours for 7 days. Intermittent local cooling (for 1 hour three times daily) on the first 3 days was also used.RESULTSOne hundred forty-four patients with extravasations of doxorubicin (n = 11), epirubicin (n = 46), mitomycin (n = 5), mitoxantrone (n = 13), cisplatin (n = 44), carboplatin (n = 6), ifosfamide (n = 14), and fluorouracil (n = 5) entered the study; 127 were assessable. Only one patient suffered an ulceration. The treatment was well tolerated, with mild local burning and a characteristic breath odor being the only side effects of DMSO applicatio...