Chemotherapy of a murine neuroblastoma model

The C1300 murine neuroblastoma model can be readily maintained by serial passage in A/J mice. Characteristics of the tumor, such as weight of the primary lesion, days of survival after tumor inoculation, or the number of metastatic foci at death, are relatively reproducible and permit experimental evaluation of various modes of treatment, including chemotherapy, that are not possible in man. In the present study, single-dose adriamycin chemotherapy was of significant benefit. Multiple dose treatment was too toxic and lethal. Cytosine arabinoside in various doses was without detectable merit. These results, from an animal model, are of benefit in evaluating further possible drug combinations in ongoing clinical trials seeking to improve the results from chemotherapy in children with advanced neuroblastoma.