Response of human adenocarcinoma to chemotherapy: as sole agents and in combination with sodium ibuprofen.

The sensitivity of 12 human tumors to various chemotherapeutic agents was measured in the 6-day subrenal capsule xenograft assay. All of the tumors were adenocarcinomas: 9 ovarian, 2 colon, and one endometrial. Doxorubicin, cisplatin, melphalan, 5- fluorouracil , methotrexate, and vinblastine sulfate were tested for antineoplastic activity on all tumors. In addition, a prostaglandin synthetase inhibitor, sodium ibuprofen, was assayed for cytostatic activity and for the ability to enhance the cytotoxic activity of melphalan and vinblastine sulfate. The response of the tumors to the cytotoxic agents were variable, but 5 of the 12 tumors showed a significant reduction of growth when the animals were treated with sodium ibuprofen alone. The addition of ibuprofen to the chemotherapeutic agents did not significantly alter the therapeutic activity of melphalan, but decreased the effectiveness of vinblastine in one case. When ibuprofen was given in combination with a cytotoxic drug, the primary cytoreductive effect was that of the cytotoxic agent.