Streptococcal agent OK-432 was administered a t maintenance levels with conventional inductive chemotherapeutic agents to stage 111 and I V lung cancer patients. Survival rates were longer in patients treated with OK-432 than in patients treated without OK-432. An enhancement of lymphocyte blastogenic activity and a delayed PPD skin reaction were found i n patients treated by OK-432. A low grade fever was present as a side effect of this agent in some patients. T h e results suggest that OK-432 may be a useful immunotherapeutic agent i n combination with induction chemotherapy in reducing host damage in advanced stages of lung cancer. Cancer 37:2201-2203. 1976. KAMOTO ET AL.'s8 DEVELOPED STREPTOCOC-0 cal agent OK-432 and suggested that this agent destroyed cancer cells. This drug has been shown to have a positive effect in a limited number of patients with leukemia and car-cinoma but no conclusions could be drawn as to the relationship between dose and effect.*Vs Our previous studies4~5~"J have suggested that OK-432 may have a mild anticancer response but the principal effect of this agent appeared to be on cell-mediated action and on reticuloendothelial function, and n o effect was observed on humoral immunity. I n our earlier studies485 tumor cells were implanted in mice pretreated with OK-432. Host resistance to implanted tumors continued after drug administration for at least 1 week. I n these mice, pretreatment with OK-432 accompanied by concomitant treatment with either cyclophosphamide or irradiation resulted in reduced survival time compared with pre-treatment by OK-432 alone. T h e length of host survival appeared to be related directly
The very rare occurrence of an ADH-producing small cell carcinoma of the lung in a 52 year old male patient with cranial diabetes insipidus since childhood is described. In this case diabetes insipidus disappeared concomitantly with development of lung cancer and re-appeared with shrinkage of the lung tumour by radiation therapy. Further progressive expansion of the primary and metastatic tumours induced the syndrome of inappropriate ADH secretion once again (SIADH). This deterioration in the clinical course was reflected in the plasma levels of ADH and neurophysins. The existence of vasopressin in the tumour tissue was also demonstrated by means of an immunohistochemical staining technique combined with anti-vasopressin serum.
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