Abstract
In patients with Stage III or more advanced gastric cancer, a suspention of OK-432 and lipiodol was administered by local injection into the retroperitoneal space at the time of lapalotomy. Then, computed tomography (CT) at the hilum pulmonis was conducted to observe the extent of the suspention by taking a picture of lipiodol. CT performed 1 week after the operation showed the cumulation of lipiodol at the hilm pulmonis and mediastinal lymph nodes only in a patients with gastrectomy and a patient with total gastrectomy and pancreaticosplenectomy. These 2 patients had greater intraperitoneal lymph node metastasis (N4) than other patients(N2 or smaller). In patients more likely to develop lymph node metastasis, the hilum pulmonis and mediastinal lymph node might be in a state of easily taking up a foreign matter lipiodol, and therefore the CT performed even after 1 week could catch lipiodol. From these results, the present local injection is expected to be useful therapeutically and prophylactically in patients with lymphogenenous metastasis or those likely to have metastasis.
