Leakage determination of chemotherapeutic agents during isolated limb perfusion using the radioisotopic method.

High doses of toxic chemotherapeutic agents that could be hazardous if administered systemically, may be delivered regionally with hyperthermic isolated limb perfusion (HILP). Accurate and real-time monitoring of leakage of chemotherapeutic agents from the treated limb to the systemic circulation during HILP therapy, is mandatory to avoid the extremely morbid effects in treated patients. In the University Hospital of Heraklion we have developed a system for radioisotopic determination of leakage during HILP. The effects of limb temperature, flow rate in perfusion circuit and systemic circulation arterial and venous pressure on leakage have been investigated.