III. CANCER TREATMENT PROGRAM AREA

SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES

The activities of the U.S.-Japan Cancer Treatment Program Area continue to focus on anticancer drug development, the study of new therapeutic approaches with biological response modifiers, and the development of new methods of radiation therapy for malignant disease. In addition, cooperative clinical projects in the area of gastrointestinal malignancy and other tumors were continued.
As in the past, the primary mechanism for this cooperative agreement has been bilateral seminar programs with representatives from the United States and Japan. In addition, a limited number of scientist exchange projects were conducted.
In the area of anticancer drug development, there was continued emphasis on the use of the human tumor stem cell assay in identifying new anticancer agents. In addition, the topic of drug resistance and the possible ways in which this problem may be circumvented was the topic of much discussion and exchange of information. There was also a great deal of interest in the development of anthracycline and of cis-platinum analogues. With respect to biological response modifiers, there was further discussion of interferon and monoclonal antibodies. In the area of radiation therapy, there was an excellent exchange of information concerning high-LET radiation, hyperthermia, radiation sensitizers and protectors, and intraoperative radiation therapy. Finally, clinical projects related to the treatment of such chemotherapy-sensitive neoplasms as breast cancer, small cell cancer, and gastric cancer were also the subject of information exchange and cooperation.