Prolongation of survival of nude mice bearing human colon cancer. Treatment with yttrium 90-labeled anti-carcinoembryonic antigen antibody.

Nude mice bearing diffuse intraperitoneal carcinomatosis of the human colon cancer cell line LS174T were treated with an anti-carcinoembryonic antigen monoclonal antibody (MAB) that was labeled with yttrium 90 (90Y-ZCE025). Control animals were either untreated or treated with nonspecific 90Y-MAB (90Y-96.5c). The median survival (MS) for untreated animals was 26 days. The MS for specific and nonspecific therapy that consisted of 120 microCi of 90Y-MAB was 69 and 34 days, respectively. No significant improvement in the MS was observed with a second 120-microCi administration of 90Y-MAB given two weeks later. A decreased MS was observed with 80 microCi of 90Y-MAB given every four days for three cycles. In each category, specific therapy had a significant advantage over nonspecific therapy in increased effectiveness and decreased toxicity. The 90Y-ZCE025 therapy gave an increased life span of almost 200%. The therapeutic effects with different dosing regimens have important implications for treatment planning.