A murine Wilms' tumor as a model for chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

We studied the effect on tumor volumes and host survival of twenty-four chemotherapeutic and radiotherapeutic regimens in rats bearing the Furth/Columbia murine Wilms' tumor. After 5 years and some 100 transfers, this tumor retained its sensitivity to suitable combinations of actinomycin D, vincristine, and X-ray, regimens in current use in the treatment of human Wilms' tumor. Cytoxan alone was highly inhibitory; adriamycin was modestly inhibitory; and lethal doses of methotrexate followed by leucovorin "rescue" were slightly inhibitory to the growth of the rat tumor. No other chemotherapeutic agent tested was effective by our criteria. Cytoxan, with or without adriamycin, and X-irradiation, were the most useful combinations studied. The chemotherapeutic agents given 3 days before irradiation were significantly more carcinostatic than they were when given after radiotherapy.