Experimental studies on the possible influence of invasive oxygen measurements on tumour radiosensitivity

The effects of tissue damage associated with invasive pO2 measurements on radiation sensitivity were investigated using a xenografted squamous cell carcinoma model. For the tumour cure experiments, single dose irradiations were given following different regimens of polarographic pO2 measurements associated with different degrees of mechanical tissue damage. With a dose of 32 Gy, 57% of animals were cured. Following 3 tracks of needle measurements, 73% of tumours were locally controlled, and 75% were cured after 8 needle tracks. The polarographic measurements gave virtually identical oxygenation data for recurrent or cured tumours (both median pO2 1.0 mmHg), respectively. There was thus no evidence of decreased radiosensitivity associated with tissue damage after invasive pO2 measurements. The pre-therapeutic oxygenation status gave no evidence for a prediction of radiation response on an individual basis.