Failure of interferon to inhibit plutonium-induced osteosarcomas in mice

The injection of murine interferon three times weekly in dose levels of 1,250, 5,000, or 20,000 U produced no significant antitumor effect against primary 239Pu-induced osteosarcomas in C57BL/6J mice. The interferon treatment was begun 94 days after the plutonium injection, which is well before the radiographic or microscopic appearance of neoplasia, and was continued until the moribund state or death. The average radiation dose accumulated by the skeleton at the time of first treatment was approximately 300 rad. The largest dose of interferon studied, 20,000 U/injection, was approximately 3 X 10(6) U/m2 of body surface, or 10(6) U/kg body weight.