RESUMO
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effect of adriamycin combined with hyperthermia on tumor formation and growth of human B lymphoma cell line (Raji) in nude mice.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twenty-four BALB/C nude mice were divided into control group (37 degrees celsius;), chemotherapy group (37 degrees celsius;+ADM), hyperthermia group (42 degrees celsius;) and thermochemotherapy group (42 degrees celsius;+ADM), and in each mouse, 5 x 10(6) Raji cells were injected subcutaneously. The time and rate of tumor formation were observed, the tumor diameter was measured every 3 days and the tumor volume calculated to obtain the growth curves of the tumors. Three weeks after tumor formation, all the mice were executed to observe the histopathological changes of the tumor with HE staining.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The time of tumor formation in the control, chemotherapy, hyperthermia and thermochemotherapy groups were 11.2-/+1.7, 20.2-/+2.3, 15.3-/+1.6 and 23.8-/+1.7 days, respectively. Three weeks after tumor formation, the average weight of the tumors were 3.33-/+0.57, 2.26-/+0.28, 2.76-/+0. 26 and 1.73-/+0. 33 g, respectively, and the tumor growth inhibition rate was 48.0% in the thermochemotherapy group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Thermochemotherapy can be effective in inhibiting tumor growth and provides an alternative of adjuvant therapy for malignant B cell lymphoma.</p>