Combination chemotherapy in vitro with adriamycin. Observations of additive, antagonistic, and synergistic effects when used in two-drug combinations on cultured human lymphoma cells.

Adriamycin was paired with 12 other chemotherapeutic drugs in a search for possible synergistic pairs. Cell lethality was investigated by the colony-formation method utilizing a long-term human lymphoma cell line. Addative effects were noted with CCNU, ara-C, prednisolone, DDP, VP-16, and Yoshi, and mild synergistic effects with BLEO and CS. Adriamycin reduced the killing ability of BCNU and MeCCNU when applied simultaneously. This antagonistic effect was canceled by sequential incubation with each drug. It appears that no significant synergism can be expected by simultaneous pairing of adriamycin with some currently available chemotherapeutic agents.