Immunotherapy of bovine ocular squamous cell carcinomas with phenol-saline extracts of allogenic carcinomas.

Abstract

Forty cattle with unilateral ocular squamous cell carcinomas and 2 with bilateral carcinomas were treated with a single intramuscular injection of a phenol-saline extract of allogeneic bovine ocular squamous cell carcinoma. Doses of extract varied from the equivalent of 100 mg of lyophilised powder to the equivalent of 1500 mg of lyophilised powder. Thirty-three of the 44 carcinomas (78%) responded to treatment, 15 regressing completely, 9 losing at least 50% of their bulk and 9 ceasing to increase in bulk. The response was significantly better (p less than 0.05) in cattle receiving 200 mg or more of lyophilised powder than in those receiving 100 mg of powder. Some 30 of 34 carcinomas (88%) responded to treatment when 200 mg or more of lyophilised powder was used. Five cattle with ocular carcinomas that had failed to respond to the initial treatment and 8 that had responded incompletely received second doses of phenol-saline extracts of allogeneic carcinomas. One carcinoma regressed completely and 2 regressed partially. Thirty cattle with untreated ocular squamous cell carcinomas were observed for periods of from one to 9 months. All the carcinomas grew progressively. Seventeen cattle with ocular squamous cell carcinomas were treated with phenol-saline extracts of bovine cutaneous papilloma, bovine foetal skin or normal bovine cornea and conjunctiva and observed for periods of from one to 14 months. A carcinoma in an animal treated with 500 mg of powder from an extract of cutaneous papilloma did not increase in size over the next 31 weeks. The other carcinomas grew progressively.