Studies in an animal model on the effectiveness of adjuvant chemotherapy with 5-FU and BCNU in cases of colorectal adenocarcinoma.

The effect of combined chemotherapy with 5-FU and BCNU on ten well differentiated human adenocarcinomas of different stages following xenotransplantation and growth in syngeneic balb/c nude mice collectives was investigated. With a tumor take of approximately 90%, it was found that marked remissions up to 43% of the original volume were only obtained with those transplant tumors initially classified as Dukes A and B; carcinomas graded Dukes C/D underwent no significant remission. Pathohistological findings during tumor remission revealed large amounts of fibrotic tissue together with surviving nests of tumor cells.