Enhanced Antitumor Effect of Radiation in Combination with Heat-Sensitive Liposome-Encapsulated Drug and Hyperthermia on Murine Tumors.

Abstract

SummaryAdjuvant hyperthermia enhances the response of melanoma to irradiation or antineoplastic drugs. Radiation in combination with a targeted drug delivery system combining a thermosensitive Liposome-encapsulated antitumor drug with hyperthermia may thus result in enhancement of therapeutic efficacy for more effective management of melanoma. The present study was based on this rationale. The therapeutic effect of radiation alone, or in combination with thermosensitive liposome-encapsulated melphalan and hyperthermia, was determined on B16F10 murine melanoma transplanted into C57B1/6 mice. This multimodality regimen resulted in marked enhancement of the antitumor efficacy in treated animals, as determined by significant tumor growth regression (p < 0.001) and prolongation of survival, compared with the level of enhancement seen in animals receiving single-modality treatment. The results suggest that radiothermochemotherapy using radiation in combination with heat-mediated selective delivery of liposomal melphalan to tumor tissue would result in more effective management of melanoma.