Induced hyperglycemia and tumor chemotherapy: Experimental and clinical studies

Abstract

In order to clarify the influence of induced hyperglycemia upon antitumor effects of chemotherapy we studied some animal and human tumors. We observed that hyperglycemia enhances the antitumor effects of some cytostatic drugs several fold, due in part to the changes in the microphysiology induced by the hyperglycemia. Time doubling of some transplanted rat tumors and survival time of rats, rabbits and dogs bearing the transplanted and spontaneous tumors increased two to ten fold when the chemotherapy was used under hyperglycemia. Remission duration in patients with malignant brain glioma was enhanced by an average of six months; two years survival increased two-fold and the three years survival in patients with ovarian carcinoma in Stage III-IV increased two-fold; five years survival, 1.5-fold. The number of complications due to the combination of hyperglycemia and chemotherapy were not increased significantly. The problems of combination chemotherapy and hyperglycemia for oncologic patients' treatment are under discussion.