No abstract

Sixth postoperative day seromae of 142 breast cancer patients were searched for the presence of malignant cells. They were found in 32 patients. These patients showed significant propensity of developing distant metastases or having an unfavourable outcome of their disease although the size of their tumours was smaller than in women whose postoperative seromae were malignant-cell free. At the same time TNM tumour staging and axillary lymph node analyses failed to prove any difference between these two groups of breast cancer patients. Finally, the analyses of the state of patients' menstrual cycles showed that cycling women whose postoperative seroma contained malignant cells are at high risk of developing metastases or dying.

Eighty one patients (59 females, 22 males) with advanced solid tumors were treated with Adriamycin in doses of 40 mg/m2 body surgace daily, in two days cycles, with resting periods of 3 weeks. Overall response rate was 46% (37/81). In breast cancer response rate was 56% (13/23) and in ovarian cancer 48% (13/27). In various other tumors remission was observed in soft tissue sarcomas (3/8), thyroid cancer (1/7), osteogenic sarcoma (1/4), oesophageal cancer (2/4), lung cancer (2/4), bladder cancer (1/2) and hepatoma (1/2). In breast cancer patients, 2-7 month remission duration was observed (M equal to 4.5 month) and in ovarian cancer 1.5-5 month (M equal to 3.2 month). Adriamycin was also applied intrapleurally in 31 patients with malignant pleural effusions with a low response rate (26%). This modified schedule of Adriamycin administration showed a high antitumor activity in breast and ovarian cancer and in soft tissue sarcomas. Squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus was also sensitive to Adriamycin therapy. The very low rate of myelosuppression and oral ulceration showed the decreased toxicity of this Adriamycin administration schedule.

The control group was not selected at random. Therefore, on the basis of our results, one can say that the treatment of the melanoma patients, Clark levels III and IV, with the r.IFN alpha 2c is promising and that further investigation is justified.

The authors report the result of local and parenteral applications of human leukocyte crude interferon in the therapy of eight patients with urinary bladder papillomatosis, four patients with breast cancer, and two patients with melanoma. The doses and effects of treatment are presented in tables. Clinical application of human leukocyte interferon (HLI) to these three types of malignant tumors has yielded encouraging results. The authors believe that investigations on HLI applications to some malignant tumors should continue because the results obtained indicate that interferon possesses not only an antiviral but also an antitumor activity.