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Effect of hydroxyurea on the radiation response of C3H mouse mammary tumors
Author(s) -
Piver M. Steven,
Howes Anthony E.,
Suit Herman D.,
Marshall Nancy
Publication year - 1972
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(197202)29:2<407::aid-cncr2820290223>3.0.co;2-t
Subject(s) - medicine , irradiation , radiation therapy , population , chemotherapy , cell , cancer research , cytotoxic t cell , biology , in vitro , genetics , physics , environmental health , nuclear physics
Hydroxyurea is a cytotoxic drug which has been found to be of only limited usefulness in the chemotherapy of solid tumors. However, recent clinical work suggests hydroxyurea might be quite effective when employed as an adjunct to radiotherapy. This hypothesis was tested using single dose and fractionated irradiation plus hydroxyurea on isotransplants of spontaneous C3H/He mouse mammary carcinomas. In the tumors irradiated under hypoxic conditions, a significant reduction in the TCD50 (tumor control dose to cure 50% of the tumors) was observed when fractionated irradiation was combined with hydroxyurea, but no effect was obtained with single‐dose irradiation. With fractionated irradiation there is an improvement in oxygenation resulting in increased cell proliferation as previous hypoxic cells become aerobic. Accordingly, hydroxyurea administered during fractionated irradiation would enhance the effectiveness of the irradiation provided the hydroxyurea were efficient in the inactivation of S‐phase cells of the expanded aerobic cell population.