The effect of preoperative adriamycin and dihydroxyanthracenedione on wound healing.

Preoperative adjuvant chemotherapy is being used with increasing frequency in advanced head and neck cancer; however, the effects of chemotherapy on wound healing have not been fully elucidated. To evaluate the effect of preoperative chemotherapy, experimental animals were given chemotherapeutic drugs, wounded, and the subsequent wound breaking strength determined. Rats received a single dose of intravenous tumoricidal drugs (adriamycin or or dihydroxyanthracenedione) either one week before or simultaneously with wounding. Wound breaking strength of treated animals and control animals receiving no chemotherapy was measured one and two weeks after wounding. All wounds, regardless of treatment, were stronger at two weeks than at one week after wounding. Wound breaking strength was reduced at both times when chemotherapy was administered one week before wounding. Wound breaking strength in animals that were simultaneously wounded and received chemotherapy was similar to controls. Both adriamycin and dihydroxyanthracenedione have a deleterious effect on one parameter of wound healing--wound breaking strength--when administered one week before wounding.