REPORTS ON SEMINARS

One of the activities, which has been continued from the start of cooperative program in 1974, is the collaborative work in evaluating the analogs of nitrosourea, fluorinated pyrimidine, anthracycline, bleomycin, protease inhibitor, and others. A comparative study in evaluation of the analogs needs much effort and time, that will be greatly saved through mutual discussions and collaborative studies through the seminars. The other important purpose of the seminars is to find the better treatment protocols with combination of drugs, or with combined modalities of treatment, for solid cancer patients. The experience in Japan of the surgical adjuvant studies with a great number of patients of gastric cancer was brought up for discussion with the U.S. participants with interest.
Lung cancer was considered for intensive discussion in the third seminar of the year, held in January, 1980, entitled “Treatment of Lung Cancer by Chemotherapy Combined with Other Modality.” This seminar was excellently organized by Dr. Shoji Hattori, a Principal Advisor of Treatment Area of this Program, as a continuation of the seminar held from January 31 to February 2, 1979, in Miami organized by Dr. Y. Yamamura and Dr. Selawry.
In this seminar, Dr. Carter emphasized that since the efficacy of treatment of lung cancer would be varied, according to the histological type, stage of disease, age, race, or host condition of patients, the clinical study with a large number of patients and on an international scale is of importance. As for the chemotherapy of lung cancer, Dr. Friedman’s report on treatment with VAM (VP16-213, Adriamycin, Methotrexate) attracted interest among the participants. He stated that the median survival time of the treated patients with limited disease was indicated to be 488 days.
From Japanese side, Dr. Hattori summarized the clinical data of 373 cases of non-resected adenocarcinoma in Japan, mostly treated with a combination protocol consisting of mitomycin C, 5-FU, and Ara-C (MFC), which have been put in the national registry. Dr. Yasumoto presented the result of immunotherapy of lung cancer with BCG-CWS and Nocardia-CWS. He reported that the 5-year survival curve of 169 patients in the stage III and IV, treated with BCG-CWS, was significantly better, when compared with 210 cases of historical control. On the other hand, Dr. Salyer and Dr. Shimosato discussed the histology of lung cancer in detail, and the presentation of the former was a good reference for Japanese participants.
A seminar entitled “High LET and Allied Area in Radiology” was held on May 22-23, 1979, in Kyoto, which was organized by Dr. Tsuya and Dr. Sheline, and planned as a continuation program of the Radiotherapy Area in the first 5 year period of this Program. The seminars included discussions on accelerator design, particle physics, radiation biology and radiation therapy. It was successful in establishing a cooperation program between both countries in this new area of fundamental research for cancer treatment.