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Experiments on animals are utilized for the control of hematological toxicity in sound NMRI mice during and after fractionated ICRF 159 therapy, fractionated whole-body irradiation and a combination of both. In the course of the 32-day therapeutic phase, and also during the total follow-up period lasting 196 days, continual determination of leukocytes and thrombocytes was performed. Leukocyte and thrombocyte depression is related to radiation effects during the phase of therapy and subsequently. In the later period of follow-up, however, hematological toxicity developed by ICRF 159 is higher than that produced by irradiation. Early and late effects of the preparation must be distinguished therefore. The thrombocytopenic effect is altogether less pronounced than the leukocytopenic effect. Here, too, the thrombocytopenic action of ICRF 159 appears in the course of the late phase only, but then more distinctly. The present results are discussed and compared to hitherto existing observations from animal experimentation and from clinical findings described in literature.

In a clinical randomized trial of 40 patients with inoperable lung carcinoma the success of radiotherapy alone (5000 rads) was compared with a combined modality with radiotherapy (5000 rads) and ICRF 159 (250 mg p.d.). There was no difference in survival rates but haematological toxicity (leucocytes, erythrocytes, platelets and haemoglobin) was marked in patients with combined treatment. In patients with oat-cell-carcinoma survival rates seem to be better after combination therapy.