SENSITIVITY OF XENOGRAFTS OF HUMAN PANCREATIC ADENOCARCINOMA IN NUDE-MICE TO HEAT AND HEAT COMBINED WITH CHEMOTHERAPY

  • 1 January 1983
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 43  (9) , 4014-4018
Abstract
The sensitivity of 2 human pancreatic adenocarcinomas (Capan-1 and Capan-2) to heat [hyperthermia] and heat combined with chemotherapy was studied using xenografts of the tumors in the foot of athymic nude mice. Heat was applied by immersion of the tumor in a water bath at 43.5.degree. for 1 h. A single i.p. dose of mitomycin C cisplatin, 5-fluorouracil or 0.9% NaCl solution was given at 1 h prior to treatment. Heat treatment alone significantly supressed tumor growth (P < 0.001), with 35% of the tumors showing complete regression. Combined treatment using heat plus chemotherapy yielded significantly greater suppression of tumor growth (P < 0.05) with mitomycin for both tumors and with cisplatin of 5-fluorouracil for Capan-1. Combined treatment also gave higher rates of complete tumor regression: 55 and 64%, respectively, for Capan-1 and Capan-2 as compared with 18 and 47% for the respective tumors treated by heat alone. Apparently, human pancreatic carcinomas are sufficiently sensitive to heat combined with chemotherapeutic treatment to warrant a clinical trial of these modalities.