[Japanese-French cooperation in tumor pharmacotherapy: 1970-1990]

Since 1970, we have carried out cancer chemotherapy and immunotherapy in cooperation with Japanese scientists, particularly Prof. H. Umezawa, who has generously supplied bleomycin, peplomycin, acalcinomycin A (ACM), THP-adriamycin (THP), neothramycin and bestatin. Malignant tumors curable by pharmacotherapy are polycythemia vera (CR 100%), acute lymphoid leukemia (ALL) (CR 80%), Burkitt tumor (CR 80 or 50%), Hodgkin disease (CR 80%), chorioepithelioma (CR 80%), testicular cancer (CR 80%), ovary cancer of children (CR 80%), Wilms renal cancer (CR 60%), rhabdomyosarcoma (CR 75%), osteosarcoma (CR 60%), Ewing tumor (CR 60%), brain tumor of children (CR greater than 50%), testicular embryonal cancer of children (CR greater than 50%), acute myeloid leukemia (AML) (CR 50%), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) (CR 50%), ovary cancer of adults (CR 40%), small cell lung cancer (CR 20%) and breast cancer. Our experimental and/or clinical experience with ACM, THP, methoxy-9-ellipticine lactate, navelbine, 4-demethyl-epipodophyllotoxin-beta-d-ethyledene glucoside, bestatin and interferon is presented. ACM is effective against AML, ALL, NHL, Burkitt tumor, breast cancer. We have comparatively investigated cardiac and dermal toxicity of 12 kinds of anthracycline antibiotics and mitoxantrone, using golden hamsters. Of the drugs examined, ACM, THP, AD-32 and AD-143 cause much less cardiomyopathy and alopecia than the other agents. The results have been confirmed by electron microscopic studies. Bestatin is an immunorestorator, which recovers immunological functions decreased in aged animals. We hope that cancer chemotherapy and immunotherapy will progress in future and contribute to cure of neoplasms. Japanese scientists have been making a great contribution in the field of cancer pharmacotherapy, and we are eager to cooperate with Japanese scientists in cancer treatment studies.