Protective effect of 13-cis-retinoic acid on hematoporphyrin derivative-induced cell photosensitivity in vitro.

The influence of 13-cis-retinoic acid on the light-caused injury of hematoporphyrin-pretreated nontransformed 10 T1/2 fibroblasts and N2a neuroblastoma cells was investigated. Retinoid reduced the percentage of damaged cells as assessed by the plating efficiency assay. N2a neuroblastoma cells were found to be better protected than 10 T1/2 cells by 13-cis-retinoic acid on hematoporphyrin light-induced injury.

Immunocytometric characteristics of a monoclonal antibody (Bra55) recognizing the leukocyte common antigen (LCA).

The immunofluorescence cytofluorometric reactivity pattern of monoclonal antibody Bra55 (IgG1) elicited with a non-T, non-B ALL cell line (REH), with a panel of human neoplastic hemopoietic cell lines (including non-T, non-B, T and myeloid leukemia cell lines) and with isolated peripheral blood lymphocytes, monocytes and granulocytes from healthy donors corresponded to the previously described microscopic immunofluorescence, ELISA, immunoprecipitation and immunocytochemic data indicating that this monoclonal antibody recognizes a 170-220 kDa cell surface glycoprotein (leukocyte common antigen) expressed selectively on hemopoietic cells. The purified, FITC-conjugated Bra55 monoclonal antibody was effectively inhibited in its binding to the surface of LCA-positive cells by reference anti-LCA monoclonal antibodies; no inhibition of this activity by LCA-unrelated monoclonal antibodies (such as anti-MHC class I and class II antibodies) was observed. These data confirm the previously reported hemopoietic cell specificity (anti-LCA, CD45) of the Bra55 monoclonal antibody.

Diagnosis and analysis of the clinical course of T-phenotype acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

We refer to the diagnostic possibilities in T-phenotype acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Immunophenotyping based on the proof of T-differentiation antigens by means of specific monoclonal antibodies and assessment of the E receptor, as well as examination of enzymatic activities of adenosine deaminase and purinenucleoside phosphorylase, were performed. Thirty patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia of T-phenotype were examined. The monoclonal antibodies used demonstrated a heterogeneity in this type of leukemia reflecting the stage of thymocyte differentiation. The cells of some patients with T-phenotype acute lymphoblastic leukemia expressed simultaneously the common acute lymphoblastic leukemia antigen and Ia molecules. Examination of enzyme activities demonstrated a characteristic pattern with a significantly increased adenosine deaminase activity and simultaneously decreased purinenucleoside phosphorylase activity in T-phenotype acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The unfavorable course of disease in patients with T-phenotype acute lymphoblastic leukemia was demonstrated analyzing a group of 50 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. By means of statistical methods the cumulative rate of children surviving with acute lymphoblastic leukemia of common and T-phenotypes have been expressed. The results showed the need for a more effective treatment aimed at the T-phenotype of acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Spontaneous acute lymphoblastic leukemia in Sprague-Dawley rats. I. Immunogenetic analysis of four individual leukemias.

The antigenic phenotyping of four individual spontaneous ALLs of SD strain revealed practically complete concordance of RT1 class I expression with PBL of SD strain. RT5 antigen as well as class II and SIg markers were not proven. T cell markers defined by MoAbs OX7 (Thy 1.1) and W3/13 (T cell common) were detected on all four ALL tested.

The DNA content of colorectal carcinomas: an analysis of the heterogeneity of aneuploidy and correlation with immunopathological parameters.

DNA ploidy patterns of 107 colorectal adenocarcinomas were retrospectively analyzed by flow cytometry (FCM) and correlated with clinicopathological and immunohistological parameters as grade, vascular and serosal invasion, carcinoembryonic antigen, secretory component (SC) and expression of HLA-DR antigens. Using the classical division into DNA diploid and DNA aneuploid tumors, a correlation with SC expression was observed. Subdivision of aneuploid tumors according to the discussed hypothetical functional criteria into hyperdiploid, hypotetraploid, tetraploid and hypertetraploid groups led to statistically significant correlation with serosal invasion. Among the immunohistological parameters the interdependence of SC and HLA-DR expression may be also of interest. The need for subdivision of DNA aneuploidy is broadly discussed so as to permit the analysis of different properties, cellular origins and kinetic parameters. Ultimately this may lead to more clinically meaningful interpretation of DNA histograms.

The role of radiation therapy in the treatment of cancer of the prostate.

The review of the literature assessing the value of external radiotherapy in treatment of patients with prostatic cancer is presented. Radiotherapy appears to be the curative treatment since about 55% of 10 years symptoms free survival rate can be achieved in stages A and B and 35% in stage C. The results of radiotherapy in cancer limited to prostate are equal to those obtained with radical prostatectomy. Postoperative irradiation seems to improve survival in patients treated with incomplete surgery. The value of elective irradiation of the pelvic and periaortic lymph nodes has not been established. The impact of TURP on survival is discussed. The factors influencing local control and complications rates like: Treatment volume, dose levels and treatment techniques are analyzed. Several experimental approaches in radiotherapy of prostatic cancer are presented.

Preoperative radiotherapy in the combined treatment of lung cancer patients.

The results of a cooperative study on combined treatment and preoperative radiotherapy in 478 lung cancer patients were analyzed. Intensive fractionated radiotherapy was given at doses of 4 Gy for 5 days, the total dosage thus attaining 20 Gy. 218 patients received combined treatment, 260 patients were treated only surgically. A comparison of the 5-year survival rates of Stage I and II patients did not show any advantage in favor of the used therapeutic modality. The combined treatment with preoperative radiotherapy, however, improved the survival rates of Stage III patients with non-small cell lung cancer. The 3-year rate in these patients was 49.4% and the 5-year rate was 29.2%, while those found in the patients treated only surgically were 28.1% and 15.8%, respectively. In all patients with regional metastases the effectiveness of the treatment was higher when the combined method was employed.

ADCC against hamster transplantable melanoma cells in relation to the diversity of their cell surface.

Antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) mediated by peripheral blood lymphocytes was determined in hamsters bearing two lines of transplantable melanomas of common origin but differing in surface glycoprotein contents, heterogeneity, antigenicity and immunogenicity. Amelanotic melanoma cell line, characterized by a higher growth rate and more prominent changes in surface glycoproteins, displayed statistically significant decrease in susceptibility of ADCC in comparison to the native line of the tumor. The relationship between changes in the surface glycoproteins of the target cells and the extent of specific lysis of melanoma cells was discussed.

Serum beta 2-microglobulin after five-day administration of cisplatin.

Patients with testicular tumors receiving the Einhorn combination chemotherapy with cisplatinum administration for five consecutive days were evaluated for signs of glomerular filtration rate impairment by means of serum beta 2-microglobulin measurements before and on days 2 and 5 after cessation of cisplatin administration and then before repeated cycles of the same chemotherapeutic regimen. Though no significant changes in the level of serum beta 2-microglobulin could be found, an evident increase in the values was seen indicating that in more aggressive cisplatin administration schedules not only tubular impairment might contribute to possible nephrotoxic effects.

Monoclonal antibody directed to MHC class I antigen (Bra23/9): characterization and utilization for study of antigen expression in differentiation of U 937 cell line.

The monoclonal antibody Bra23/9 (IgG2a) elicited by a non-T, non-B ALL cell line (REH), reacted in microscopic immunofluorescence, enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA), complement-dependent cytotoxicity tests and immunocytofluorometric measurements with hemopoietic cell lines and peripheral blood lymphocytes, monocytes and granulocytes from healthy donors in a pattern characteristic for MHC class I antigens. Immunoprecipitation of lactoperoxidase radioiodinated cell surface proteins and surface sialoglycoproteins radiolabeled by sodium metaperiodate/tritiated sodium borohydride technique confirmed the structure gp44,p12 (consisting of a 44 kDa glycopeptide linked with a nonglycosylated 12 kDa peptide) typical for MHC class I antigen(s) as a structure recognized by the Bra23/9 monoclonal antibody. The increase of MHC class I antigen density (immunofluorescence intensity) induced by a phorbol ester (TPA) in monoblast U 937 lymphoma cell line was observed by immunocytofluorometry as a predominant tendency in several TPA-induction experiments, where a certain variability among individual experiments in TPA-induced MHC class I antigen alterations was observed.

Biological and immunological properties of the HMB-2 human melanoma cell line.

The HMB-2 human melanoma cell line derived from a lymph node metastatis is described. After long-term cultivation in vitro the cells retained their morphology, high growth rate, xenotransplantability into immunosuppressed mice and genotypic and phenotypic markers of human melanoma cells. Upon infection of the HMB-2 cells with temperature-sensitive mutant vesicular stomatitis virus (VSVts045) at nonpermissive temperature, a complemented virus pseudotype (VSV(HMB-2] was produced carrying assembled melanoma-associated antigens. Monoclonal antibodies prepared against HMB-2 cell membrane proteins and proteins of purified VSV(HMB-2) particles showed different reactivity with various human tumor cell lines and tissues: While the RG-12 anti-HMB-2 monoclonal antibody recognized a class II tumor-associated antigen present in melanoma and carcinoma tissues, the B-6 anti-VSV(HMB-2) antibody showed selective reactivity with melanoma cells.

Enhancement of lymphocytic SCE frequencies in patients with ovarian cancer.

Sister chromatid exchange (SCE) frequencies were studied in normal and mutagen-treated lymphocyte cultures from patients with ovarian carcinoma and controls. The mean SCE value per cell in normal cultures from the patients was 7.84 which was significantly higher than 6.41 SCEs per cell observed in the controls (p less than 0.01). Similar SCE values obtained for mutagen (mitomycin C, MMC) treated cultures were somewhat lower for patients as compared to the controls, however, the difference was not significant. Cellular kinetics, expressed as average generation time (AGT), was suppressed in lymphocyte cultures from ovarian carcinoma patients as compared to the controls (p much less than 0.05). It was concluded that although baseline SCE rates in lymphocytes of patients with ovarian carcinoma were higher as compared to the controls, they have very limited application as a marker malignancy.

In vivo DNA damage and resistance to 1-methyl-1-nitrosourea and 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea in L1210 leukemia cells.

Damages in secondary DNA structure and inactivation or activation of some repair enzymes such as DNA polymerases alpha and beta and poly(ADP-riboso)polymerase induced by 1-methyl-1-nitrosourea (MNU) and 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU) after administration of the drugs at therapeutic single doses to mice bearing parent L1210 leukemia cells (L1210/0) and MNU- and BCNU-resistant L1210 leukemia cells (L1210/MNU and L1210/BCNU) were studied. Damages in DNA structure of all three leukemia strains were investigated using centrifugation on alkaline or neutral sucrose gradients. More MNU-induced single-strand breaks (SSB) and alkali-labile lesions in L1210/0 and L1210/MNU cells were revealed in newly replicated DNA as compared with those in preexisting DNA. BCNU induced fewer SSB in newly replicated DNA of L1210/0 cells than MNU. The fastest repair of the damages in newly replicated DNA was detected in L1210/BCNU and especially in L1210/MNU cells as compared with L1210/0 cells. These results suggest that there are prone errors in the repair of DNA template as many SSB were revealed in the newly replicated DNA synthesized on the repaired DNA. Repair of DNA damages in L1210/BCNU and especially in L1210/MNU cells was accompanied by activation of DNA polymerases alpha and beta and poly(ADP-riboso)polymerase. It was shown that both DNA polymerases alpha and DNA polymerase beta were involved in the repair of damages induced by MNU and only DNA polymerase beta was involved in repair of damages induced by BCNU.

The role of serine and glutamine in the metabolism of malignant bone tumors and their significance in the diagnosis and prognosis of bone tumors.

Some malignant tumors of soft tissues that metastasize to bones are characterized by an insignificant increase in the levels of certain amino acids in the serum of the host. Primary malignant bone tumors, on the other hand, tend to increase significantly the concentration of amino acids in the host serum. We found that malignant transformation of bones, cartilage, and connective tissue induced changes in the metabolism of the patients which led to a significant elevation of several amino acids in their serum. Only alanine and cysteine showed a decreased level in the sera of patients with bone tumors. A significant increase in the concentration of amino acids in the sera of patients with bone tumors, as compared to control subjects, was found in serine, glutamine, leucine, isoleucine, lysine, arginine, and histidine (p less than 0.001). The elevated levels of serine and glutamine suggest their possible use in diagnostics, differential diagnostics, and in the study of therapeutic effects in these malignancies.

Serum prealbumin, transferrin and alpha-1-acid glycoprotein in patients with gynecological carcinomas.

Prealbumin, orosomucoid (alpha-1-acid glycoprotein), were studied by single radial immunodiffusion in sera of 216 controls and 188 patients with gynecological carcinomas divided according to diagnosis, activity, and progression of the disease. The level of orosomucoid was found higher in 94 patients with active epithelial ovarian carcinoma (mean = 1.35 g/l), in 38 women with squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix (mean = 1.04 g/l), and in 56 women with endometrial carcinoma (mean = 0.91 g/l), than in 61 blood donors (mean = 0.62 g/l) and 155 patients with benign gynecological diseases (mean = 0.71 g/l). Orosomucoid increased with the progression of ovarian carcinoma. Patients with active localized or advanced carcinoma had higher levels of orosomucoid than patients in remission (mean = 0.88 g/l). This can help in diagnosing ovarian carcinoma relapses. Prealbumin and transferrin decreased in all women with active ovarian carcinoma and in advanced cervical and endometrial carcinomas. Transferrin and prealbumin of patients in remission differed from the values in advanced carcinomas of the cervix and endometrium only and cannot be used in relapse determination. Calculation of the O/P index (orosomucoid to prealbumin ratio) brought no advantage for tumor diagnosis in comparison with the investigation of orosomucoid alone.

The effect of wheat sprout extract on benzo(a)pyrene and 7,2-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene activity.

Subcutaneous application of aqueous wheat sprout extract to mice resulted in a slight decrease of the ability of fraction S-9 from their skin to activate DMBA to metabolites mutagenic for S. typhimurium TA 98. Induction by benzo(a)pyrene of sperm abnormalities in mice was diminished after oral administration of the wheat sprout extract; however, even high doses of the extract did not completely abolish the effect of benzo(a)pyrene on spermatozoa. In the carcinogenicity studies, the wheat sprout extract, when applied to mouse skin during the initiation phase, enhanced fourfold the induction of papillomas by DMBA and shortened the period of latency from 9 to 5 weeks.

In vitro cytotoxicity of caracemide alone and in combination with hydroxyurea or iron-chelating agents in human chronic myeloid leukemia cells and murine tumors.

The cytotoxic effect of caracemide and hydroxyurea was compared in human chronic myeloid leukemia cells. Caracemide was found to be about twelve times more effective than hydroxyurea. The combined effect of caracemide, hydroxyurea and hydrophobic iron-chelating agents at relatively nontoxic concentrations was studied. Hydroxyurea, 2,2'-bipyridine and 1,10-phenanthroline combined with caracemide synergistically inhibited DNA synthesis, while Desferal did not show any such effect. Fe++ partially reversed the cytotoxicity of caracemide in combination with 2,2'-bipyridine, while it had no effect on the cytotoxicity of caracemide alone. Caracemide was found to have a stronger inhibitory effect on DNA synthesis in P388 lymphocytic leukemia and Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells than hydroxyurea. However, bipyridine, phenanthroline and Desferal in combination with caracemide did not induce any synergistic inhibition. These data indicate the value of human tumor cells to predict drug responsiveness and suggest the further evaluation of caracemide and its combination with hydroxyurea and iron-chelating agents in the treatment of human leukemias.

Correlation of steroid receptors with histopathologic characteristics in breast carcinoma.

Estrogen and progesterone receptors were correlated to histologic variables in 288 breast cancer patients from western India. The progesterone receptors (PR) were significantly elevated as compared to estrogen receptors (ER) amongst primary pre- and peri-menopausal breast carcinomas. ER positivity was correlated significantly to nuclear grade. Lymphatic invasion and vascular permeation were not found to be linked to ER, while PR positivity could be linked to lymphatic invasion and inversely to vascular permeation. Higher frequency of ER positivity was observed in lobular carcinomas. PR concentrations of the tumor had better correlations with histologic variables as compared to ER.

Serum sialic acid forms as markers for head and neck malignancies.

The value of protein-bound (PSA), lipid-bound (LSA) and free sialic acid (FSA) levels in the serum as marker was assessed together with its use as a prognostic indicator for head and neck cancers in 165 patients followed-up for over 18 months. Elevated PSA levels were found in 57% of patients with benign disorders, 52% with primary head and neck cancers, and 75% with metastatic cancer. Strong correlation was found between PSA and the regression/progression of the disease. The PSA level essentially returned to normal in patients with favorable prognosis and PSA levels showed a tendency to increase or remain at high levels in patients with a poor prognosis. These results suggest that PSA level is a better prognostic indicator in head and neck cancers, for which there is no available tumor marker.

The influence of patients age, type of tumor growth, hematocrit, and radiation-induced tumor regression on the prognosis of advanced uterine cervix carcinoma.

The age of patients, type of tumor growth, pretreatment hematocrit, and radiation-induced tumor regression were evaluated as possible prognostic factors in 222 patients with advanced cervical cancer treated at the Institute of Clinical Oncology in Bratislava in the period from 1960 through 1980. The five-year disease-free survival rate for Stage IIb patients was 50%, for Stage III patients 23.1%, and for Stage IV patients 13%. Radiation-induced tumor regression and type of tumor growth were noted to be a significant prognostic factor with regard to the control of disease in the pelvis. Age of the patients and pretreatment hematocrit were found to be a weak prognostic factor.

Diagnosis, size, and operation results in 41 acoustic neurinomas.

The diagnosis, size and operation results in 41 acoustic neurinomas (26 females and 15 males) are presented. In one case the tumor was bilateral. Out of the total of 41 tumors, 12.5% were small acoustic neurinomas. As a rule, at diagnosis the tumors were larger in females than in males. Ten of the small and medium size acoustic neurinomas had no brain stem and cerebellar symptoms or signs at all, only the 8th cranial nerve was affected. All large tumors already had brain stem symptoms and one-third of them also had cerebellar symptoms, lesions of further cranial nerves and increasing intracranial pressure. All these findings were always present in giant tumors. Neurootological functional laboratory examinations cannot be replaced by CT because of the possibility of false negative findings in the smallest acoustic neurinomas. CT and functional neurootological laboratory examinations are complementary to each other and they are not screening procedures at all. As regards morbidity and mortality, the surgical results are comparable with those of other authors using microsurgical techniques. As regards the preservation of hearing, the results are among the best particularly in tumors that were diagnosed as small or medium in this series. Thus it is apparent that the size of a diagnosed acoustic neurinoma is more important for surgical results than the chosen approach to the tumor.

Optimization of radiation therapy in prostatic cancer.

The results of a study on the optimization of external irradiation of prostatic cancer are discussed. The study was performed with the aid of an automatic water phantom, an automatic densitometer, and a computerized treatment planning system using an anthropometric phantom Alderson. The following parameters were studied: Dose gradient, the size of areas of selected isodoses, and the shape of the 90% isodose. At present, we consider that the twosector biaxial arc technique characterized by an arc angle of 120 degrees, a distance of the arc axes of 3 cm, employing a 20 MeV X-ray of a linear accelerator is the optimal technique for target irradiation of carcinomas of the prostate.

Modification of the ionic environment in the tumor cell by hyperthermia.

Tumor cells submitted to hyperthermia (45 degrees C) showed changes in the ionic composition: Increased calcium and decreased potassium concentrations. These changes are likely to affect vital functions of the cell. The observed decrease in ATP concentration supports the hypothesis that hyperthermia affects the ATP-dependent extrusion mechanism of the cell and, consequently, induces that ionic environment modification. Lactate production was also decreased by hyperthermia, a phenomenon that could be related to the fall in potassium concentration. The intracellular increase in Ca2-concentration during hyperthermia appears to support the earlier hypothesis on the role of Ca2+ in tumor inhibition by hyperthermia.

Theoretical QSAR study on carcinogenic potency of N-nitrosamines.

A mechanistic QSAR study on N-nitrosamines (NA) was performed with the aid of the semiempirical MINDO/3 method. Both the chemical reactivity and the transport in biological medium were taken into account. The parent NA molecules and their first reaction intermediates in the metabolic activation pathway were examined for possible determinants of the relative carcinogenic potency. The correlations found support the previous suggestions concerning the metabolic C alpha radical hydroxylation of NA. The role of transport properties in the early stage of NA biotransformation was also demonstrated.

Mechanisms of cancerogenesis inhibition. II. The aminophenols and their oxidation products.

The protective effect exerted by a series of aminophenols (12 compounds) against in vitro DNA interaction with (3H)benzo(a)pyrene activated by methylcholanthrene-stimulated microsomes was determined. In agreement with theoretical calculations the inhibitory effectiveness of aminophenols was of the same order of magnitude (between 15-50% protection) as for the phenolic antioxidants. According to our previous findings, this protection is due to the inhibition of cytochrome P-450-dependent microsomal monooxygenases. However, most unexpectedly, it was also found that oxidation products of 4-aminophenol and 4-N-methylaminophenol are significantly more effective than their reduced precursors (protection greater than 95%). The structure of the inhibitory oxidation products of the aminophenols is unknown. However, indirect arguments suggest that some quinoneimines formed as reactive intermediates during the oxidation process could be responsible for this effect. A similar phenomenon was previously found for this effect. A similar phenomenon was previously found for the quinones--diphenols corresponding pairs.

FAB classification of chronic myelomonocytic leukemia: heterogeneity revealed on the basis of bone marrow findings.

We report on 12 patients who fulfilled the FAB diagnosis criteria of chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML). Some clinical findings (splenomegaly) as well as biological parameters (WBC count, cellularity of bone marrow sections, presence of dyserythropoiesis in bone marrow smears) were subjected to particular analysis. This allowed the assignment of each patient onto one of three separate hematological syndromes: (1) RA or RAEB with monocytosis, (2) myelomonocytic dysplasia (a novel syndrome) and (3) true CMML. Such separation may have distinct prognostic significance and may, therefore, predict life expectancy.

Cytogenetic study of chronic myeloid leukemia.

A total of 122 patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) were cytogenetically examined. At the first cytogenetic examination 68 of them were in chronic phase (CP) and 54 in blastic phase (BP) of the disease. The mean age of the whole group was 44.8 +/- 15.2 years. All patients included in this study were Ph-positive. In two of them constitutional chromosomal aberrations were ascertained. In two patients the standard Ph translocation was accompanied within onset of BP by a clone with complex translocation and in three patients Ph chromosome was found in mosaics with normal karyotype. Standard translocation t(9.22) (q34;q11) as the sole chromosomal abnormality was found in 17 (31%) patients in BP and in 47 (69%) of patients in CP. The most frequent additional abnormalities found were +8, i(17q), +Ph and their combination, and other nonrandom chromosomal changes. Clonal evolution was proved in 11 out of 24 serially examined patients during the progression of the disease. The analysis of relationship between prognosis of the disease and the results of cytogenetic examination revealed significant differences, and a more favorable course of the disease was observed for the group of patients in CP and with Ph chromosome as the sole chromosomal aberration.

The cytotoxic effect of methotrexate as evaluated by colony-forming activity of hemopoietic and tumor cells.

The response of hemopoietic and/or lymphosarcoma cells to methotrexate has been investigated. The proliferative capacity of hemopoietic tissue was measured by exogenous CFU assay. It was inhibited by a six times lower amount of MTX than the proliferative activity of lymphosarcoma cells as evaluated by liver-colony assay. The natural resistance of LS/BL lymphosarcoma cells to MTX might be attributed to the DHFR gene amplification resulting from DNA rearrangements appearing during malignant transformation.

An effective combined therapy for advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity: preoperative BVMM (bleomycin, vincristine, mitolactol plus methotrexate and leucovorin) chemotherapy followed by surgery.

Effects of preoperative chemotherapy with three courses of a combination of bleomycin, vincristine, mitolactol, prednisolone and methotrexate, with a leucovorin rescue, followed by surgery, were studied in 43 patients with advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the oral region. Prior to chemotherapy 32 patients (74%) had advanced T3 or T4 carcinomas whilst 11 patients had T2 lesions. All patients responded clinically to preoperative chemotherapy: 20 patients (46%) achieved clinically complete remission and 23 patients (54%) were judged as partial responders. Sideeffects of this combination chemotherapy were minimal and reversible. Between 15 and 22 days after the last course of chemotherapy the patients underwent surgery, after which 100% were judged to be disease-free. Wound healing complications did not occur. With a median follow-up of 23 months (range 8-45 months), 81% of patients are alive and 79% remain disease free. This combined therapy appears both safe and effective for advanced squamous cell carcinomas of the oral cavity.

Dibromdulcitol containing chemotherapeutic regimen in the treatment of childhood Hodgkin's disease.

Dibromdulcitol containing modified MOPP chemotherapeutic regimen plus radiotherapy were used in 58 children with Stage I-IV Hodgkin's disease diagnosed between 1975 and 1985 in Hungary. A remission rate of 93.1% and a 5-year relapse-free survival of 89% was observed. Some latent hyperthyreoidism as late effect of the therapy, no growth disturbances and no adverse gonadal effects were seen until now.