Role of antitumor antibiotics in current oncologic practice.

The antitumor antibiotics have thus made a major impact on oncologic practice. The continued search for productive strains of these organisms should be encouraged. In addition, the activity and toxicity spectrum suggests the need for vigorous analog development. An active anthracycline devoid of cardiotoxicity; a bleomycin with no effect on pulmonary tissue; an analog of streptozotocin devoid of nephrotoxicity; these would be advances of inestimable benefit to the cancer patient of the future.