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Increased apoptosis rate by hyperthermochemoradiotherapy for advanced rectal cancers
C Sakakura1, K Koide, M Shirasu
1First Department of Surgery, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Japan.
Surgery Today
|January 1, 1997
Summary
Hyperthermochemoradiotherapy (HCR) effectively treats rectal cancers by inducing apoptosis, or programmed cell death. This study confirms apoptosis is key to HCR
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Cancer Research
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Apoptosis in cancer cells treated with ionizing radiation, hyperthermia, and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), known as hyperthermochemoradiotherapy (HCR), is well-studied in vitro.
- The specific role of apoptosis in the tumor-destructive effects of HCR for primary rectal cancers remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between the therapeutic efficacy and the rate of apoptosis induction in rectal cancer patients treated with HCR.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of tumor tissue from 16 rectal cancer patients after HCR treatment.
- Quantification of Tunel-positive apoptotic cells to assess apoptosis rates.
- Correlation analysis between apoptosis rates and histological therapeutic effects.
Main Results:
- Significant numbers of Tunel-positive apoptotic cells were observed in tumor tissues post-HCR.
- Tumor tissues from patients not receiving HCR showed minimal apoptotic cells.
- A strong correlation was found between the rate of apoptosis and the histological therapeutic effect.
Conclusions:
- Hyperthermochemoradiotherapy (HCR) demonstrates a therapeutic effect in human rectal cancers.
- Apoptosis induction is the primary mechanism by which HCR exerts its tumor-icidal effects in rectal cancer.