Selective drug delivery to peri-tumoral region and regional lymphatics by local injection of aclarubicin adsorbed on activated carbon particles in patients with breast cancer--a pilot study.

ACR-CH, which consists of aclarubicin (ACR) adsorbed onto activated carbon particles, was developed for locoregional chemotherapy for breast cancer. Thirty patients with breast cancer received an ACR (10 mg) injection intra- and peri-tumorally, either as ACR-CH or as ACR aqueous solution (ACR-AQ) 5 min before the operation for breast cancer. The ACR concentrations were significantly higher in the peritumoral regions and regional lymph nodes, and were also significantly lower in the blood plasma in patients given ACR-CH versus patients given ACR-AQ.