Effects of selected compounds on the McCall rat colon adenocarcinoma

Forty-seven substances were tested for antitumor activity against the McCall rat colon adenocarcinoma. The most effective compounds were mitomycin C, 1,1', 1"-phosphinothiolylidynetrisaziridine and adriamycin. Others less active were azaserine, N-(4-chlorophenyl)-N'-(1-methylethyl)-imidodicarbonimidic diamide and 3,6-bis(5-chloro-2-piperidinyl)-2,5-piperazinedione. A number of standard anticancer drugs, 5-fluorouracil, arabinosylcytosine, methotrexate, bleomycin, daunomycin, 6-mercaptopurine, cis-dichlorodiammine platinum(II), cyclophosphamide and actinomycin D, were not effective under the test conditions and evaluation procedure used. Lentinan, though causing no initial inhibition of growth, did cause some regression. Significant synergism in terms of regression was seen in combination therapy with mitomycin C and azaserine.