Cancer chemotherapy reports最新文献

Levels of putrescrine, spermidine, and spermine in urine were determined by means of a sensitive ion-exchange chromatographic method in patients with advanced solid tumor malignancies, in patients with diseases other than cancer, and in normal control subjects. Elevation above 2 SDS of the normal mean were found in varying number of patients in each tumor category. For those malignancies studied that involved more than 20 patients, the greatest incidences of increased excretion were 66% for spermine in patients with colon carcinoma and 50% for putrescine and spermidine in patients with bronchogenic carcinoma. The highest levels and greatest frequency of elevated polyamine levels were found in patients with Burkitt's lymphoma, and changes in clinical tumor status associated with treatment appeared to correlate well with polyamine levels in this disease. Abnormal amounts of polyamines were also excreted by some patients with diseases other than cancer, indicating that increased polyamine excretion is not restricted or specific to the neoplastic state. It was also found that the levels of polyamines were apparently not affected by the intake of meat or the diet eaten, and remained in a rather narrow excretion range for any one individual at different time intervals. This study was carried out as part of a program to determine and evaluate biologic materials present in body fluids that may be used to follow and evaluate response or progression of neoplastic disease in patients during treatment regimens. The results suggest that abnormal urinary polyamine levels may be characteristic of neoplastic growth for some patients with malignant disease. Further studies are necessary to determine if these compounds may be helpful in assessing disease status for patients with such solid tumor malignancies as colon and bronchogenic carcinoma although their potential as useful "biologic markers" appears less promising than originally anticipated.

Transplantable adenocarcinomas of the colon in mice have been developed from primary tumors induced by 1,2-dimethylhydrazine. Two such transplant lines, MAC-13 and MAC-15, have been used to assess the possible value of this type of tumor in chemotherapy screening. A protocol has been established and 11 standard drugs were tested against the two lines. Both tumors show sensitivity which is remarkably similar to that of human large bowel cancer, and MAC-13 would have correctly predicted the activity in man for ten of the 11 drugs. Quantitatively, CCNU, methyl-CCNU, and cyclophamide were the most effective drugs. A comparison of the predictive efficiencies of L1210 leukemia, B16 melanoma, and these new tumors as screening systems for colorectal cancer is made and discussed.

An initial clinical trial of daily and weekly X 6 ihtravenous infusions of thalicarpine, a plant alkaloid of novel structure, was carried out in 36 patients. Twenty-eight patients received 33 courses of single-dose administration at doses of 200-1900 mg/m2. At the maximum tolerable dose of 1400 mg/m2, toxic effects included arm pain (nine or ten), central nervous system depression (seven of ten), nausea and vomiting (two of ten), hypotension (two of ten), hypertension (two of ten), arrhythmia (premature ventricular contractions) (one of ten), and electrocardiographic changes (mainly T-wave flattening) (five of ten). At the maximum tolerable dose for weekly administration, 1100 mg/m2/week X 6, arm pain was seen in seven of eight, central nervous system depression in three of eight, hypotension in one of eight, and electrocardiographic changes in three of eight. The recommended dose for phase II trials is 1100 mg/m2/week by a 2-hour intravenous infusion.

Amygdalin MF was evaluated alone and in combination with an activating agent, beta-glucosidase, against three transplantable rodent tumors; Ridgway osteogenic sarcoma, Lewis lung carcinoma, and P388 leukemia. In dose-response studies up to the LD20 in normal mice, amygdalin MF alone did not demonstrate significant antitumor activity against any of these three tumor systems. Similarly, at doses not exceeding the LD10 in normal mice, amygdalin MF plus beta-glucosidase did not demonstrate antitumour activity against any of these three tumor systems. Potentiation of the lethal toxicity of amygdalin MF by beta-glucosidase was observed in all studies where the two agents were given in simultaneous combination.