Carrier solutions for intraperitoneal chemotherapy.

Two pharmacokinetic problems appear to limit the effectiveness of intraperitoneal therapy: poor tumor penetration and nonuniform intraperitoneal distribution by the drug-containing solution. A better understanding of the pharmacodynamics of carrier solutions for intraperitoneal chemotherapy may impact on both these problems. Not only is the choice of drug important, but also the matching of the chosen drug to an appropriate carrier solution. It would appear that high molecular weight solutions offer a number of advantages over low molecular weight glucose and saline solutions for chemotherapeutic agents that have a high molecular weight with a slow peritoneal clearance. The use of carrier solutions of varying tonicity requires further investigation.