[Cell kinetics of oral cancer during gamma teletherapy in combination with the administration of metronidazole].

Proceeding from the clinical observation of 11 patients with cancer of the tongue, oral mucosa and stomatopharynx who received gamma-beam therapy according to the scheme of dynamic fractionation combined with metronidazole, it has been concluded that the drug enhances the degree of radiation injury of the above tumors. It is expressed in early time (the 2nd day of treatment) and a low dose level (8 Gy) at which tumor resorption starts and the completeness of gamma-beam therapy in summary doses of 30-60 Gy is revealed (a general index of a clinically complete resorption is 90.8% - 10 out of 11 patients). A simultaneous study of the proliferative activity on the biopsies from the same 11 patients has shown that tumors of the oral cavity contain a considerable amount of nonproliferating cells that reduces in the process of radiotherapy combined with metronidazole. No correlation was found between the initial content of these cells, the degree of its decrease during radiotherapy combined with metronidazole and the completeness of resorption at the end of radiotherapy.