Cellular kinetics and their implications for chemotherapy of solid tumors, especially cancer of the colon
✍ Scribed by Robert O. Johnson; William H. Wolberg
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 1971
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 414 KB
- Volume
- 28
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0008-543X
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
✦ Synopsis
Basic and clinical studies of the kinetic and biochemical characteristics of normal and malignant cells have led to a better understanding of the problems of chemothearapy for solid tumors. These studies suggest that clinically we should concentrate on the treatment of small residuals of cancer for long periods of time by varied combinations of drug therapy, preferably using high doses of drug and avoiding development of resistant cells. It is desirable to develop better drugs both for antitumor effect and for manipulation of the cell cycle. Protective therapy for the hemopoietic and gastrointestinal tract might be very rewarding. Increasing host immunologic resistance may be the key to cure.
FFECTIVE SO1 ID TUMOK CHEMOTHERAPY RE-
E quires a better understanding of kinetic and biochemical characteristics of both normal and malignant cells. Cellular kinetics refers to the events of the cell mitotic cycle which result in cell division or death. Biochemical characteristics are those metabolic qualities of a cell which make it viable and unique. It is impossible to separate kinetic from biochemical events of cell life. I t is our purpose to overlook such distinctions and to seek better means of cancer therapy using knowledge currently available to the clinical investip tor.
THE CELL CYCLE
T h e majority of cell life is spent i n the GI phase2+iz23 (Fig. 1). During this phase, the cell engages in R N A and protein synthesis. Functions during this phase are characteristic of specific organs. Time spent in the GI phase is extremely variable, but, in general, it depends on the specific tissue concerned. T h e central nervous system neurons remain in the G, phase for the entire adult life of the host. Liver cells leave the GI phase only if replica-Presented at the National Conference on Cancer of the Colon and Rectum, San Diego, Calif., January 5-9,
1971.
From the Division of Clinical Oncology and the De-