Pharmacokinetics of intra-arterial mitomycin C in the chemoembolization treatment of liver metastases with polyvinylalcohol or degradable starch microspheres

Objectives: In cancer treatment, arterial blood flow reduction by embolization combined with intra-arterial chemotherapy may be advantageous by achieving high and prolonged drug concentrations in the tumor, and lower systemic drug exposure. The pharmacokinetics of intra-arterial mitomycin C (MMC) was investigated in patients with liver metastases undergoing chemoembolization treatment. Methods: The chemoembolization treatment consisted of the use of polyvinylalcohol microspheres (ITC-Contour, diameter 150-250 mum, irreversible vessel occlusion, 20 mg MMC, 15 patients) followed by sealing of the supplying artery with Ethibloc. Alternatively, starch microspheres (Spherex, diameter 45 mum, biologically degradable, 10 ml of suspension containing 60 mg starch/ml, 20 mg MMC in 7 patients, 15 mg/m(2) body surface in 3 patients) were used. MMC was infused over 6 min into the artery supplying the tumor. Serum MMC concentrations were determined from peripheral venous blood samples [protein precipitation with acetonitrile, reverse-phase HPLC with ultraviolet detection (C18 column, elution with 0.01 M, pH 6.5 phosphate buffer/methanol, v/v 70:30, 365 nm)]. The pharmacokinetic parameters were computed assuming an open two-compartment model and linear kinetics. Results: The disposition parameters for MMC in patients treated with polyvinylalcohol microspheres were comparable to data from the literature (C-max = 913 +/- 98 ng/ml, T-max = 7.7 +/- 0.3 min, V-c = 0.27 +/- 0.03 1/kg, V-ss = 0.59 +/- 0.07 1/kg, CI = 757 +/- 67 ml/min, T-1/(2alpha) = 5.8 +/- 0.8 min, T-1/2B = 50.4 +/- 4.1 min). There was no significant difference in the disposition parameters for MMC between patients treated with polyvinylalcohol microspheres and those treated with starch microspheres (P > 0.05). In particular, there was no significant difference in the standardized AUC between the groups; this implies that the systemic toxicity of MMC is comparable when polyvinylalcohol microspheres and ethibloc (AUC 1472 +/- 123 mug min/1 per 1 mg MMC) or starch microspheres (AUC: 1448 +/- 172 mug min/1 per 1 mg MMC) are used. Conclusion: The AUC values found in this study do not indicate a reduction in the systemic toxicity of MMC if applied intra-arterially in combination with embolizing microspheres, when compared to the AUC values in the literature for intra-arterial application without embolization, or intravenous MMC application. The amount of starch microspheres may have been too small to cause marked effects. On the other hand, there is a very wide range of AUC values reported in the literature for different application modes, and the use of such historical controls is not adequate for detecting more subtle advantages of the chemoembolization procedure, which may, however, exist.