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Extrapolation of experimental results to clinical practice should be done very carefully, because of the differences between the conditions on the laboratory bench and those in the human body. In the clinical setting, circumstances are much more complicated and drug activity is moderated by many physiological factors. On the other hand, the possibility of creating standardized conditions may be of great help for interpretation of treatment efficacy since great inter-individual differences may encumber this process. Furthermore, experimental studies provide indicative information that may be very valuable since it is practically impossible to study each treatment parameter in comparative clinical studies. The relatively small number of patients available for intraperitoneal chemotherapy trials complicates clinical evaluation of optimal treatment.

Peritoneal carcinomatosis represents an advanced form of intra-abdominal and pelvic malignant tumours that has been generally associated with a grim prognosis. The peritoneal component of cancer is often the major source of morbidity and mortality. Despite advances in its diagnosis, peritoneal surface malignancy has always been a major problem in cancer management. Surgery alone can never be therapeutic. Even if all visible tumour deposits can be removed, most likely microscopic residual disease will be left behind and progression of peritoneal disease will occur. On the other hand, systemic chemotherapy, alone or in combination with surgery, is generally not so effective such that patients will ultimately die of their disease. In most cases, peritoneal metastases are usually relatively resistant to intravenously administered cytotoxic drugs. A clear dose-effect relation exists, but the intravenously administered dose that is significantly effective generally exceeds the dose that causes lethal systemic toxicity.