This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Martin, D. S. Articles by Fugmann, R. A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Martin, D. S. Articles by Fugmann, R. A.

Enhanced Cures of Spontaneous Murine Mammary Tumors with Surgery, Combination Chemotherapy, and Immunotherapy¹

Department of Surgery, Catholic Medical Center, Jamaica, New York 11432

Significant numbers of cures of spontaneous mammary adenocarcinoma in CD₈F₁ (BALB/c x DBA/8 ) mice have been effected by concomitant administration of three therapeutic modalities: surgery (enucleation) + combination chemotherapy + immunotherapy (nonspecific immunological adjuvant). The results were obtained following lifetime observation of the animals.

Immunotherapy consisted of zymosan (Z), a nonspecific stimulant of the reticuloendothelial system. When Z treatment was initiated 3 days prior to enucleative surgery of the spontaneous tumor, it enhanced the therapeutic effect of combination chemotherapy consisting of four simultaneously injected anticancer agents. The first injection of the quadruple combination of streptonigrin (S), thioguanine (T), Endoxan (E) or cyclophosphamide, and mitomycin C (M), or STEM, was given on the day after surgery; thereafter, three additional simultaneous injections of the STEM + Z were given at 14-day intervals. The combination of surgery + STEM + Z effected a 54% local cure rate (i.e., no tumor recurrence) as well as a 24% absolute cure rate (i.e., no tumor recurrence as well as no appearance of a new tumor). Surgery alone and surgery + STEM produced local cure rates of 15 and 39% and absolute cure rates of 3 and 11%, respectively.

The enhancement of tumor cure rates was attained by the "triple modality" therapeutic approach with negligible toxicity.

¹ This research was supported by USPHS Grant CA-04497 from the National Cancer Institute.

² Address reprint requests to: Dr. Daniel S. Martin, Chairman, Department of Surgery, Catholic Medical Center, 88-25 153rd Street, Jamaica, N. Y. 11432.

Received 2/19/69. Accepted 8/ 7/69.