Treatment of the rabbit V-2 carcinoma with intralesional cisplatin.

New Zealand white rabbits were used in the evaluation of intralesional injections of cisplatin for the management of experimentally induced V-2 carcinomas. The tumors were implanted into the right hip by intramuscular injections of an inoculum containing freshly harvested V-2 fragments which gave rise to a single, spherical mass (2-3 cm) 2 weeks after inoculation. All rabbits received two courses of either intralesional cisplatin or saline beginning 2 weeks after inoculation. Cisplatin injections significantly slowed the growth and spread of the primary tumor in all treated rabbits. In addition, intralesional chemotherapy prevented the development of lung metastases in 71% of the animals and produced approximately a threefold increase in survival time. Results indicate that not only is cisplatin active against experimentally induced V-2 carcinomas in rabbits, but direct intralesional injection is also an easy and effective means of administering chemotherapy.