Hokanson J A, Brown B W, Thompson J R, Drewinko B, Alexanian R
Cancer. 1977 Mar;39(3):1077-84. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(197703)39:3<1077::aid-cncr2820390311>3.0.co;2-s.
Serial changes in tumor mass were evaluated in 61 patients with multiple myeloma who had received intermittent courses of melphalan-prednisone until death. The variations in the kinetics of tumor reduction and relapse could be explained by a mathematical model based on two cell populations, one sensitive to and one resistant to chemotherapy. For all responding patients, the median tumor halving-time was 1.3 months and the median doubling time was 2.9 months. The duration of a constant tumor mass during remission was brief in most patients. A larger fraction of resistant cells prior to therapy was associated with a slower tumor doubling-time during relapse. With a constant fractional reduction of sensitive cells and a tumor halving-time of one month or less, all cells sensitive to alkylating agents would be eliminated with 3 years of uninterrupted intermittent therapy.
对61例接受美法仑-泼尼松间歇疗程直至死亡的多发性骨髓瘤患者的肿瘤块连续变化进行了评估。肿瘤缩小和复发动力学的变化可用基于两个细胞群的数学模型来解释，一个对化疗敏感，另一个对化疗耐药。对于所有有反应的患者，肿瘤的中位减半时间为1.3个月，中位倍增时间为2.9个月。大多数患者缓解期肿瘤质量恒定的持续时间很短。治疗前耐药细胞比例较高与复发时肿瘤倍增时间较慢有关。在敏感细胞以恒定比例减少且肿瘤减半时间为1个月或更短的情况下，3年不间断的间歇治疗可消除所有对烷化剂敏感的细胞。
