In vitro inhibition of head and neck cancer-cell growth by human recombinant interferon-alpha and 13-cis retinoic acid.

Three nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cell lines (CNE-1, CNE-2 and NPC/HK-1), two squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) cell lines (T2/CUHK and PWH-S1) and six head and neck cancer specimens (NPC [n = 4], SCC tongue [n = 1] and a thyroid cancer [n = 1]) were incubated with interferon (IFN)-alpha (5 x 10(4) iu/mL) and/or 13-cis retinoic acid (13RA; 10(-5) mol/L) for two days at 37 degrees C. In vitro chemosensitivity was measured using MTT assay. Mild growth inhibition of the five cell lines by IFN-alpha ranged from 7.1% to 51.8% (mean: 18.5%), whereas with 13RA it was zero to 19.7% (mean: 7%). Greater inhibition (14.8-51.0%, mean: 31.8%) was achieved when the two drugs were used in combination. Growth inhibition of the six surgical specimens ranged from 6.9% to 21% (mean: 13.6%) with IFN-alpha; zero to 10.3% (mean: 6.0%) with 13RA; and 6.6-26.5% (mean: 17.7%) when the two agents were combined. Four of the 11 samples showed synergistic antitumour effect when IFN-alpha and 13RA were combined, and six showed subadditive effect. The results show that IFN-alpha and 13RA have a mild in vitro antitumour effect on head and neck cancer cells, and the drug synergistic effect demonstrated in this study suggests that the two agents should be used in combination in clinical application.

Bowel haemorrhage and perforation from metastatic lung cancer. Report of three cases and a review of the literature.

Surgical emergencies caused by bowel metastases from carcinoma of the lung are very rare. A search of the English literature revealed less than 10 cases of bowel perforation and no case of haemorrhage. In this report, we describe three patients with both bowel perforation due to metastases from primary lung tumours (one epidermoid; two adenocarcinoma). In two of these, bleeding occurred several days before perforation, suggesting that bowel haemorrhage may be a warning of impending rupture. It may be reasonable to consider early laparotomy to control haemorrhage and prevent perforation even in such patients despite the presence of disseminated malignant disease.