Solid tumor models for the assessment of different treatment modalities. XXI. Comparison of different radiation dose schedules alone or in combination with cyclophosphamide.

Total radiation (4500 rad) and cyclophosphamide doses (450 mg/kg or 2.7 g/m2) were held constant over a 24-day period in rat hepatoma 3924A using radiation schedules in which 1500 rad were given over a 1- to 2-day period in 1-8 fractions, repeated at 11-day intervals, with or without cyclophosphamide. Reducing the rad per fraction resulted in a reduced incidence of complete tumor response and tumor cures, and a reduction in the magnitude of skin response. Cure rates were 40, 10, 0, and 0%, respectively, for the 1500, 750, 500, and 250 rad per fraction groups without cyclophosphamide. When the 1500, 750, 500, 375, 250, and 188 rad per fraction groups were given 150 mg/kg cyclophosphamide day 1 after radiation, major increases occurred in tumor cures, with the cure rates being 80, 80, 80, 70, 60, and 50%, respectively. The addition of cyclophosphamide did not significantly alter skin reaction to radiation. The higher rad per fraction schedules were more effective in controlling metastatic dissemination when radiation was used alone. The addition of cyclophosphamide markedly reduced metastatic dissemination in both high and low-dose per fraction schedules. Optimal treatment levels were estimated from analysis of fitted response surfaces, and the quantitative interrelationship between normal tissue reaction, probability of tumor cure, and associated relative hazard to the host estimated from the results of these analytical methods. Hyperfractionated radiation dose schedules with dose/fraction in the clinical range combined with cyclophosphamide can significantly increase the therapeutic ratio and prevent metastatic dissemination compared with radiation alone as a result of the increased effectiveness of combined modality therapy on the tumor, without a concomitant increase in normal tissue reaction.

Comparison of effects of daily versus hyperfractionated split-course radiation schedules with and without cyclophosphamide on median survival, metastatic dissemination, tumor cure, and growth rates.

Daily fractions of 188, 250, 375, 500, and 750 rads were given to rats with hepatoma 3924A so that all groups received the same weekly dose of 1500 rads over a 6-week period, for total doses of 9000 rads when only radiation was given and 4500 rads when combined with cyclophosphamide. No tumors were cured (with two exceptions) with or without three doses of cyclophosphamide (150 mg/kg or 0.9 g/sq m) given 14 days apart. The addition of cyclophosphamide to the daily radiation treatment schedules did not change the time for tumors to reach 8 times the volume at time of treatment but did result in a longer median survival, which was attributed to a reduction of pulmonary metastases. A hyperfractionated radiation schedule using six 250-rad fractions given three times daily every 4 hr for 2 days combined with cyclophosphamide (150 mg/kg) 1 day later and repeated two additional times at 11-day intervals for a total dose of 4500 rads and cyclophosphamide (450 mg/kg) resulted in eradication of six of ten tumors, for a cure rate of 60%. Skin damage, determined by visually scoring the skin, appeared to be fully recovered by Day 126 and remained so until the end of the experiment on Day 384. The three courses of hyperfractionated radiation (total dose, 4500 rads), when given alone, were ineffective in producing tumor regression and cure. Combining cyclophosphamide with hyperfractionated split-course radiation schedules gave a major increase in tumor cure rate as compared with radiation alone at the same (4500 rads) or higher (9000 rads) doses. The major gains in effective utilization of the two modalities is greatly diminished or lost when the radiation is administered as daily fractions.