Soft-tissue necrosis induced by extravasated cancer chemotherapeutic agents.

The inadvertent extravasation of anticancer drugs in clinical use may result in the development of indolent lesions at the site of injection. Investigation of this phenomenon in Hartley guinea pigs showed that the pathogenesis was based on direct tissue toxicity and not on sensitization. The risk of a serious reaction appeared to be related to the localization of the injurious agent within the dermis rather than at the subcutaneous site.