CLINICAL EVALUATION OF ICRF-159 AS A RADIOSENSITIZING AGENT

There is evidence that the drug ICRF 159 is a radiosensitising agent. This clinical investigation suggests, however, that ICR:F 159 is not a clinically useful radiosensitiser in that it also increases the damage done to normal tissues. Two groups of patients were studied. The first group, 12 patients who had sarcomas generally regarded as radioresistant, treated by radiotherapy with ICRF 159. They responded well to treatment, but three of them subsequently developed unusually severe post-irradiation soft tissue fibrosis. The second group, had multiple skin metastases and bilateral lung metastases from breast carcinomas. These patients were given radiotherapy with ICRF 159 to one lesion and radiotherapy alone to another similar lesion, thus each patient acted as their own control. There was a slightly better response in three of six skin tumours irradiated with ICRF 159 but more intense late skin changes in four of them. The tumour response in the patient with bilateral lung metastases was similar on each side but the lung which was irradiated with ICRF 159 subsequently developed a severe radiation pneumonitis. © 1978.