TREATMENT OF PRIMARY RADIOGENIC C57BL MOUSE CELL LEUKEMIA/LYMPHOMA BY 1, 3-BIS(2-CHLOROETHYL)-1-NITROSOUREA CHEMOTHERAPY AND ADJUVANT CELLULAR THERAPY

Abstract

Primary radiation-induced or radiation leukemia virus (RadLV)-induced T-leukemias/lymphomas were treated in vivo in an early to advanced state by using 1, 3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU). BCNU was given at various times after the tumor induction procedure. Death from RadLV lymphomas which had been initiated in 33±3 day old C57BL mice by intrathymic injection of RadLV was scored in untreated, BCNU-treated or BCNU and cellular adjuvant treated mice. Intrathymic RadLV injection in 33±3 day old mice produced tumors in 98% of injected mice. Median survival time (MST) was increased by BCNU and by BCNU plus bone marrow cell therapy whether done 33 or 47 days after RadLV. There was increase in MST from 108 days to 171 days by BCNU and bone marrow cell therapy given 33 days after tumor initiation and to 195 days when therapy was given 47 days after initiation. In radiation-induced lymphomas produced by 190 rad every week ×4 of 33±3 day old mice, spleen cell (×1) therapy or BCNU treatment increased the MST of treated mice from 142 days to 177 days after iv spleen cells or to 195 days after iv-ip spleen cells, and this protocol produced 31% long-term cures. Cellular adjuvant therapy combined with BCNU chemotherapy was effective for curing the lymphomas but cellular adjuvant therapy alone was also highly effective for therapy.