[Morphological and cell kinetic investigations on squamous cell carcinomas of the oropharynx under intraarterial therapy of methotrexat and irradiation (author's transl)].

To examine the effect of methotrexate therapy and irradiation morphological and cell kinetic studies were performed on squamous cell carcinomas of the oropharynx at the begin, the middle and the end of therapy. In the incubated biopsies the morphological pattern especially the proliferative activity of the carcinomas under therapy and after estimation of the mitotic index changed not significantly. However, the cell kinetic analysis by in vitro autoradiography with tritiated thymidine showed a continuous decrease of the labeling indices of tumor cells. These cell kinetic results were in good agreement with the clinical findings and supported a good response of squamous cell carcinomas on intraarterial methotrexate therapy as well as on irradiation.