Skip to main content
PMC home page
British Journal of Cancer logoLink to British Journal of Cancer
. 1983 Nov;48(5):711–716. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1983.254

Chemotherapy of human head and neck cancer xenografts with three clinically active drugs: cis-platinum, bleomycin and methotrexate.

B J Braakhuis, E J Schoevers, E C Heinerman, G Sneeuwloper, G B Snow
PMCID: PMC2011514  PMID: 6196043

Abstract

Human head and neck tumours were successfully transplanted in athymic nude mice. In 14 xenograft lines the effect of 1 to 3 clinically active agents could be tested. Maximum tolerated doses were given daily for 3-7 days. Growth delay was estimated in terms of the number of volume doubling times gained by the treatment. Cis-platinum and bleomycin appeared to be effective agents. In all 6 lines in which cis-platinum was examined, growth delay sometimes followed by complete regression was achieved. In 6/7 lines a response to bleomycin was observed. There was wide variation in sensitivity to cis-platinum and bleomycin among the different lines. Methotrexate, effective in 40-60% of patients with head and neck cancer, essentially showed no activity. Methotrexate produced a minimal growth delay in 1/11 lines treated. Two of the patients from whom xenografts were obtained responded to methotrexate treatment. The observed lack of activity of methotrexate against these tumour xenografts indicates that this model has limitations in the screening of new anticancer agents.

Full text

PDF
711

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Azar H. A., Fernandez S. B., Bros L. M., Sullivan J. L. Human tumor xenografts in athymic (nude) mice: chemotherapy trials in serially transplanted tumors. Ann Clin Lab Sci. 1982 Jan-Feb;12(1):51–59. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bailey M. J., Gazet J. C., Smith I. E., Steel G. G. Chemotherapy of human breast-carcinoma xenografts. Br J Cancer. 1980 Oct;42(4):530–536. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1980.276. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Carter S. K. The chemotherapy of head and neck cancer. Semin Oncol. 1977 Dec;4(4):413–424. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. DeConti R. C., Schoenfeld D. A randomized prospective comparison of intermittent methotrexate, methotrexate with leucovorin, and a methotrexate combination in head and neck cancer. Cancer. 1981 Sep 1;48(5):1061–1072. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(19810901)48:5<1061::aid-cncr2820480502>3.0.co;2-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Fujita M., Hayata S., Taguchi T. Relationship of chemotherapy on human cancer xenografts in nude mice to clinical response in donor patient. J Surg Oncol. 1980;15(3):211–219. doi: 10.1002/jso.2930150304. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Houghton J. A., Houghton P. J. On the mechanism of cytotoxicity of fluorinated pyrimidines in four human colon adenocarcinoma xenografts maintained in immune-deprived mice. Cancer. 1980 Mar 15;45(5 Suppl):1159–1167. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(19800315)45:5+<1159::aid-cncr2820451320>3.0.co;2-z. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Kirkwood J. M., Canellos G. P., Ervin T. J., Pitman S. W., Weichselbaum R., Miller D. Increased therapeutic index using moderate dose methotrexate and leucovorin twice weekly vs. weekly high dose methotrexate-leucovorin in patients with advanced squamous carcinoma of the head and neck: a safe new effective regimen. Cancer. 1981 May 15;47(10):2414–2421. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(19810515)47:10<2414::aid-cncr2820471016>3.0.co;2-w. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Kopper L., Steel G. G. The therapeutic response of three human tumor lines maintained in immune-suppressed mice. Cancer Res. 1975 Oct;35(10):2704–2713. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Looney W. B., Mayo A. A., Allen P. M., Morrow J. Y., Morris H. P. A mathematical evaluation of tumour growth curves in rapid, intermediate and slow growing rat hepatomata. Br J Cancer. 1973 Apr;27(4):341–344. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1973.41. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Nowak K., Peckham M. J., Steel G. G. Variation in response of xenografts of colo-rectal carcinoma to chemotherapy. Br J Cancer. 1978 Apr;37(4):576–584. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1978.87. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Osieka R., Houchens D. P., Goldin A., Johnson R. K. Chemotherapy of human colon cancer xenografts in athymic nude mice. Cancer. 1977 Nov;40(5 Suppl):2640–2650. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(197711)40:5+<2640::aid-cncr2820400938>3.0.co;2-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Pesce A. J., Bubel H. C., DiPersio L., Michael J. G. Human lactic dehydrogenase as a marker for human tumor cells grown in athymic mice. Cancer Res. 1977 Jul;37(7 Pt 1):1998–2003. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Povlsen C. O., Jacobsen G. K. Chemotherapy of a human malignant melanoma transplanted in the nude mouse. Cancer Res. 1975 Oct;35(10):2790–2796. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Shorthouse A. J., Jones J. M., Steel G. G., Peckham M. J. Experimental combination and single-agent chemotherapy in human lung-tumour xenografts. Br J Cancer. 1982 Jul;46(1):35–44. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1982.162. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Shorthouse A. J., Smyth J. F., Steel G. G., Ellison M., Mills J., Peckham M. J. The human tumour xenograft--a valid model in experimental chemotherapy? Br J Surg. 1980 Oct;67(10):715–722. doi: 10.1002/bjs.1800671011. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Straw J. A., Talbot D. C., Taylor G. A., Harrap K. R. Some observations on the reversibility of methotrexate toxicity in normal proliferating tissues. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1977 Jan;58(1):91–97. doi: 10.1093/jnci/58.1.91. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Journal of Cancer are provided here courtesy of Cancer Research UK

RESOURCES