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U.S. Department of Energy
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Clinical trials of radiosensitizers: what should we expect

Journal Article · · Int. J. Radiat. Oncol., Biol. Phys.; (United States)

The lack of positive results from the clinical trials undertaken so far with misonidazole (MISO) are widely considered as disappointing. This is leading to a growing sentiment that hypoxic cells may not be a significant limitation to local control of human tumors. To examine whether this is a reasonable conclusion, the relevant in vitro and in vivo data have been summarized so that predictions of the extent of radiosensitization of the hypoxic cells can be made from a knowledge of the clinically achievable levels of MISO. The in vitro and in vivo data with radiosensitizers suggest that only a small effect, if any, is likely to be demonstrated in the clinical trials with MISO, even for those tumors the control of which is limited by hypoxic cells. Thus the question of whether hypoxic cells may or may not limit the local control of tumors by radiotherapy has not been addressed adequately by the presently available radiosensitizing drugs.

Research Organization:
Stanford Univ. School of Medicine, CA
OSTI ID:
6905029
Journal Information:
Int. J. Radiat. Oncol., Biol. Phys.; (United States), Journal Name: Int. J. Radiat. Oncol., Biol. Phys.; (United States) Vol. 10:3; ISSN IOBPD
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English