Effect of hyperthermia, radiation and adriamycin combinations on tumor vascular function

Pathophysiologic studies of tumor vascular responses to hyperthermia, radiation or adriamycin given alone or in specific combinations have been made in the cervical carcinoma grown in the transparent cheek pouch chamber of the Syrian hamster. A specially designed chamber containing a compartment for flowing water enabled controlled heating of the tumor and pouch to within 0.2 degrees C; the desired temperatures were achieved within one minute. Heating at 42 degrees C for 30 minutes was followed, at 1, 5 or 24 hours, by a second heating for 30 minutes at 42 degrees C. In addition, the same period of heating was preceded or followed, at 1, 5 or 24 hour intervals, by a single exposure to 2000R or a single intravenous injection of adriamycin given at a rate of 0.45mg/100gm body weight. Of the three modalities, heat appeared to have the greatest acute effect on the tumor vascular system. A single dose of heat produced a rapid but transient constriction followed by a prominent dilation of vessels. Two heating periods given at a 1 hour interval caused persistent stasis in the tumor which progressed to coagulation necrosis. Although heating prior to irradiation or adriamycin, in general, increased the vascular responses to these agents, this sequence gave no tumor control. Radiation or adriamycin given prior to heating had relatively little effect on the vascular response to heating and produced no tumor control except when heat was applied shortly after irradiation. These studies indicate that changes in the microvasculature and perfusion in tumors, in response to hyperthermia alone or combined in specific sequences with radiation, can alter the internal environment of the tumor to produce a greater degree of tumor control than can be attributed to direct cell killing by these agents.