Naoki Shibuya

Brain metastasis of choriocarcinoma

Twenty-four patients with histologically verified brain metastasis of choriocarcinoma were analyzed regarding autopsy and operative findings, signs and symptoms, diagnosis, method of treatment, and prognosis. The autopsy incidence of brain metastasis was 66.7% in patients with choriocarcinoma, and the predominance of single brain lesions was confirmed. Most of the metastatic lesions were hemorrhagic. The hemorrhages were intratumoral, peritumoral, and/or subarachnoid. These findings were well correlated with the findings on computed tomographic (CT) scans and the acute onset with rapid progression of symptoms. The history of molar pregnancy, measurements of urinary chorionic gonadotropin, and findings on CT scans were diagnostic. Surgical removal of the lesion followed by chemotherapy combined with irradiation is the treatment of choice in patients with progressive neurological deterioration in whom chemotherapy alone is ineffective.

Sensitivity to 1‐(4‐amino‐2‐methyl‐5‐pyrimidinyl)methyl‐3‐(2‐chloroethyl)‐3‐nitrosourea hydrochloride (ACNU) of glioma cells in vivo and in vitro

A new water‐soluble nitrosourea (ACNU) was tested for its antitumor activity against four glioma cell lines. Four factors were studied to determine its antitumor activity: inhibition of cell growth, morphologic observation, analysis of DNA histogram with flow microfluorometry, and sensitivity testing with microtest plate. Growth inhibition in response to ACNU was seen in two cell lines (EA285, U251‐MG), whereas two cell lines (YE2‐2, T98) were resistant to ACNU. The results of the present sensitivity test concur with those of other examinations that this test is useful in selecting a drug and determining the effective dose.