Thermal enhancement of bleomycin-induced tumour growth delay: the effect of dose fractionation

Abstract The influence of hyperthermia on bleomycin-induced growth delay of a syngeneic murine carcinoma has been studied in both simultaneous and sequential schedules for single and multi-fraction drug dose. The results reveal thermal potentiation of drug-induced growth delay if treatment is given simultaneously. This observed potentiation is independent of single or multi-fraction drug administration. Sequential pre-heating treatment resulted in only additive growth rate depression for single and two-fraction drug doses. However, when the drug dose was given in three fractions a significant thermal potentiation was observed for both simultaneous and sequential schedules.