Erythrocytotoxicity induced by cancer chemotherapeutic agents. In vitro studies of osmotic fragility and methaemoglobin generation.

Increased osmotic fragility and methaemoglobin generation in vitro have resulted from the exposure of normal human erythrocytes to numerous cancer chemotherapeutic agents. These findings offer a possible explanation for the earlier, consistent clinical observation of the rapid development of anaemia, during consolidation therapy, in children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in remission.