Sensitivity of latent cancer to chemotherapy.

The paper is a review of some cancer patients who were treated successfully by surgery followed by chemotherapy. The cases suggest the hypothesis that early cancer growth following surgery is more sensitive to chemotherapy than the active cancer growth of the original tumor.

Intractable chronic lymphocytic leukemia and interferon.

The hypothesis that interferon may be useful for intractable chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is based on two incidental findings: first, the similarity in the in vitro radioresistance of the blood lymphocytes of intractable CLL and of hairy cells; secondly, the similarity of the incidence of intractable CLL patients and the incidence of CLL patients who respond to interferon treatment.

An animal model for intractable chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Lymphomas developed in mice treated with X-irradiation. The radiosensitivity of cells of the lymphomas had a bimodal frequency distribution. The cells of 11 lymphomas had approximately the same radiosensitivity as normal murine lymphocytes; 6 lymphomas were highly radioresistant.

Differences between responsive and intractable chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

About 19-26% of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) have intractable disease resistant to chemotherapy, have a relatively short median survival time and are responsive to splenectomy. Lymphocytes from patients with intractable CLL are resistant in vitro to X-irradiation and to colchicine. Responsive CLL is an accumulative disease while intractable CLL is a proliferative disease.

Essential in vitro test before treatment of patients with intractable chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

About 23% of all chronic lymphocytic leukemic (CLL) patients have intractable CLL (ICLL) which is resistant to conventional therapy and has a poor prognosis. The ICLL patients complicate the determination of the efficacy of new therapeutic agents. An in vitro test is needed for the diagnosis of ICLL patients during the first examination.