Combination Adriamycin and radiation therapy in gynecologic cancers

Anthracyclic antibiotics, of which Adriamycin is representative, have the ability to bind to cellular DNA and thereby interfere with the X-ray repair process. When radiation survival curves of tissue cultures were studied, increased cell-killing was noted in those cultures with Adriamycin over those without the drug. The mechanism by which this occurs may be related to a reduced rate of DNA strand break rejoining, as demonstrated by use of alkaline sucrose gradient techniques. A preliminary clinical Phase I study, in which patients with advanced gynecologic malignancy were treated by simultaneous Adriamycin and X radiation, suggests that combined therapy is well-tolerated, and that such combinations may prove useful in selected patients.