Effects of Radiotherapy on Ehrlich’s Ascetic Carcinoma in Swiss Albino Mice: An Experimental Study

Abstract

Background: Experimental tumors have great importance in modeling, and Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) is one of the most common tumors. EAC is referred to as an undifferentiated carcinoma and is originally hyperdiploid, has high transplantable capability, no-regression, rapid proliferation, shorter life span, 100% malignancy, and also does not have tumor-specific transplantation antigen. The current concepts that radiotherapy alone or with cancer chemotherapy is administered at a dose to the maximum a patient can tolerate before the onset of severe and even life-threatening toxicity is still in wide clinical use. This study was conducted to evaluate the response of radiotherapy in the treatment of EAC. Materials and Methods: A mouse bearing the tumor strain was taken from our laboratory in the Department of Pathology, IPGMER, Kolkata, where the strain was being maintained serially by inoculation of malignant cells into healthy mice every 8–10 days. In our work, altogether 25 mice were taken for each set of experimental work. They were divided in four groups of 5–10 mice in each group. The various parameters to assess the response of various therapeutic schedules were regression of tumor by decrease in body weight of mice and decrease in abdominal girth; cell count of ascetic fluid and morphological changes of tumor cells after treatment with drugs and to study the percentage viability of the cells. Results: All the mice in Group I gained weight steadily. Mice of Group II were unaffected by single dose whole body radiation and they behaved as mice of Group I. All mice of Group III died within 20–25 days. Conclusion: Cell changes were observed but not as marked. Cell viability was as high as 65% after treatment as compared to tumor control which showed a viability of about 75%.