Efficacy of cytotoxic agents for the prevention of laparoscopic port-site metastases.

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Abstract
THE INCREASING number of case reports of port-site metastasis, as well as the recently reported outcomes of several experimental studies, suggest that the laparoscopic manipulation of malignant neoplasms is associated with an increased incidence of metastasis to port sites.1,2 Irrespective of whether wound contamination with tumor cells occurs due to either direct contamination from laparoscopic instruments that have been in contact with malignant tissue or indirect contamination from tumor cells aerosolized in the insufflation of gas,3-5 it is possible that the application of topical intraperitoneal cytotoxic agents or the use of parenteral agents as adjuvant therapy may prevent metastasis by killing tumor cells that have been liberated by laparoscopic manipulation.1,6-8 The use of these agents would then overcome one of the principal impediments to laparoscopic cancer surgery.1,2,5