Safety monitoring of the coliseum technique for heated intraoperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy with mitomycin C

Treatment of carcinomatosis may involve the use of heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy; the cytotoxic solution is administered in the operating room with the abdomen open so that manual distribution results in uniform treatment. The potential risk of this procedure to the operating room personnel has not been previously investigated. Mitomycin C was perfused through the peritoneal cavity, which was partially covered by a plastic sheet. Large volumes of air were suctioned from 5 and 35 cm above the abdominal skin edge. Urine from the surgeon and from the perfusionist were assayed. Sterile gloves worn in the operating room for manipulating the viscera during treatment were assayed for their permeability to mitomycin C. All samples were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography. Analysis of samples of operating room air and urine from 10 procedures showed no detectable levels of mitomycin C. Six tests of three different types of gloves showed a 10-fold range of mitomycin C penetration. The least permeable gloves leaked a mean of 3.8 parts per million over 90 minutes. No detectable safety hazard to the surgeon or other operating room personnel was demonstrated.