Chapter 23: Administration of systemic anticancer therapies
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Related theory
The peritoneal space is semi‐permeable, allowing high concentrations of a drug to be achieved at the site of the tumour throughout the peritoneal space, but with lower concentrations entering the bloodstream, thus reducing the toxicity (Sewell et al. [230]). In this way, increased dosages of drug can be delivered to the tumour site than could be delivered systemically.
Large volumes of fluid containing chemotherapy agents should be administered intermittently. The chemotherapy agents used include (Sewell et al. [230]):
- cisplatin
- carboplatin
- bleomycin
- paclitaxel
- mitoxantrone
- mitomycin C
- 5‐FU.
