Premium
The influence of warfarin or levamisole on the incidence of metastases following local irradiation of a solid tumor
Author(s) -
Baker Donald,
Elkon David,
Lim MengLai,
Constable William,
Rinehart Lucille,
Wanebo Harold
Publication year - 1982
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(19820201)49:3<427::aid-cncr2820490306>3.0.co;2-6
Subject(s) - levamisole , medicine , incidence (geometry) , regimen , nuclear medicine , irradiation , radiation therapy , warfarin , hyperfractionation , dose fractionation , physics , nuclear physics , optics , atrial fibrillation
KHT sarcomas were implanted in the right rear legs of C3H mice. An x‐ray dose of 6000 rad, delivered in ten equal fractions over 12 days, resulted in 60% local tumor control, but 83% of these mice developed metastases. Three strategies to use the tumoricidal effect of x‐radiation and reduce the incidence of metastases were compared. A modification of the fractionation scheme to deliver an initial large fraction of 1800 rad followed by seven 600‐rad fractions resulted in a decreased incidence of metastases compared with the same dose delivered in ten equal fractions. The use of warfarin anticoagulation during the ten‐fraction course of radiation resulted in a small decrease in the incidence of metastases. Immune stimulation with levamisole, injected subcutaneously every second day during the irradiation, also resulted in a decrease in the incidence of metastases. However, when warfarin or levamisole were combined with the eight‐fraction radiation scheme there were fewer metastases than following the ten‐fraction scheme. The combination of the eight‐fraction radiation course with levamisole also produced a significant increase in primary tumor control. In this treatment regimen, therefore, levamisole appears to act as a radiation sensitizer. An hypothesis to explain this action is proposed.