Free cancer cells in the peritoneal cavity of 100 patients with gastric cancer were examined by means of Douglas lavage, and their viability was estimated by 3H-thymidine uptake with autoradiographical technic. Furthermore, the effect of mitomycin-C on the viability of free cancer cells in the peritoneal cavity was studied. The appearance of intraperitoneal free cancer cells was dependent on the degree of invasion of cancer to the gastric serosa; that is, free cancer cells were not found in cases without serosal invasion, but were found in 48% with serosal invasion. The viability of free cancer cells in the peritoneal cavity was relatively high, but could be suppressed remarkably by intraperitoneal administration of 10 mg of mitomycin-C.

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