SUMMARY REPORTS OF EXCHANGE SCIENTISTS

1) EDWARD A. KNAPP, PH.D.,
Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory University of California, Los Alamos New Mexico

Host Institution:
Dr. Kineo Tsukada, Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute
Dates of Visit: May 21-31, 1979

Summary of Activities:
Attended the US-Japan Meeting on radiation oncology in Kyoto, Japan. Also visited the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute to discuss high energy particle physics and the application of accelerator-produced radiation to applied physics and medical needs. Discussions were part of the on-going joint collaboration on high energy particle radiation.


2) JOSEPH R. CASTRO, M.D.,
Department of Radiation Oncology, Mount Zion Hospital and Medical Center, San Francisco, California

Host Institution:
Dr. T. Arai and Dr. S. Morita, Hospital Radiotherapy Department, National Institute of Radiological Science, Chiba, Japan
Dates of Visit: May 21-31, 1979

Summary of Activities:
Visited NIRS in Chiba with Dr. Michael Goitein to discuss the high energy (neutron and photon beam) radiation therapy of patients with cervical cancer. Also they observed several patients under treatment. The problems of staging, treatment and follow-up were extensively discussed for comparability studies. Collaboration on high energy radiation therapy will be continued in the future. Also attended the US-Japan meeting on radiation oncology in Kyoto.


3) MICHAEL GOITEIN, PH.D.,
Department of Radiation Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts

Host Institution:
Dr. T. Arai and Dr. S. Morita, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Chiba, Japan
Dates of Visit: May 21-31, 1979

Summary of Activities:
Accompanied Dr. Joseph Castro on visits to the Hospital Radiotherapy Department of NIRS. See report on Dr. Castro.


4) NOBORU HORIKOSHI, M.D.,
Department of Clinical Oncology, Cancer Institute Hospital, Division of Clinical Chemotherapy, Cancer Chemotherapy Center, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research

The object of my visit to the United States, from November 4 to December 3, 1979, was to investigate the systems of diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. Four main active institutions, in the field of treatment and research of breast cancer were selected for this purpose.
(1) M.D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute
Dr. Emil J. Freireich Head, Dept. of Developmental Therapeutics
Dr. George R. Blumenschein Chief, Medical Breast Clinic Dept. of Medicine
(2) University of Wisconsin
Dr. Paul P. Carbone Director, Wisconsin Clinical Cancer Center Head, Dept. of Human Oncology
(3) University of California, San Francisco
Dr. Michael A. Friedman Cancer Research Institute
(4) Stanford University
Dr. Stephen K. Carter Director Northern California Cancer Program
At each institution, I could see treatment and care of in-and out-patients. It was interesting and useful for us to know such a system as “Breast Planning Clinic”, held in M.D. Anderson Hospital, for better management.
There were several new protocols for us: treatment of breast cancer patient in PEPA, and continuous intravenous treatment with a special catheter using drugs such as adriamycin, vinblastine, bleomycin and MMC.
There are standard combination chemotherapy for breast cancer: ACF at M.D. Anderson Hospital and CMFP in the ECOG. But we still need active drugs for this disease. Protocols and information were obtained about phase II drugs for breast cancer, which are not tried yet in Japan, such as mAMSA, peptichemio, Bruceantin and Methyl-GAG. Also recent result of leukocyte interferon for breast cancer was obtained in M.D. Anderson Hospital. This information will be very useful for us to compare with the clinical study of fibroblast interferon in Japan.
Adriamycin, one of very potent drugs for advanced breast cancer, has troublesome cardiac toxicity. We are not using this drug so much extensively as in the United States, but we always concern about this side effect, especially on patients with irradiation to left chest wall. Technic to perform transjugular endomyocardial biopsy was shown in M.D. Anderson Hospital. We would like to introduce this method to our Hospital.
I could see hormone receptor assay in each laboratory. And I participated in two lectures on this matter during my trip: by Dr. Joseph C. Allegra of NCI, and Dr. Ian Holdaway of Auckland Hospital in New Zealand. Dr. M. A. Friedman of UCSF showed me interesting data on other malignancies such as male breast cancer, cell cancer and malignant melanoma.
Annual Clinical Conference of M.D. Anderson Hospital was during my stay, with the title of “Status of Curability of Childhood Cancer.” It is encouraging for us to hear the word “cure”, even in the other field.