The stathmokinetic (mitostatic) effect of vincristine and vinblastine on human gliomas

Twelve patients with gliomas received 3H-thymidine intraarterially in combination with an i.v. mitostatic agent (Velban: 0.1 mg/kg or 3 mg/M2 of Vincristine) prior to tumor biopsy. The labeling index (LI) of each tumor was compared with the mitotic index divided by the elapsed time from administration of the mitostatic agent to biopsy (MI/t). Most of the malignant gliomas that had an LI of 5-15%, also yielded an MI/t value of 4-5 x 10(-3), whereas tumors with an LI of less than 5% generally showed very slight (0.1 x 10(-3) mitotic accumulation. Use of a mitostatic agent is suggested to differentiate the proliferative activity of various gliomas.