The antitumor effect of a novel nitrosourea, tauromustine, at intravenous administration in rat. Cure of hepatomas.

The effect of intravenously injected tauromustine (TCNU) on tumor growth and body weight was studied in rats with subcutaneously implanted experimental carcinomas. With a colonic tumor, a single dose or that dose split on 4 consecutive days gave the same tumor growth delay but the body weight loss was less at the split dose. Injection of the single dose for 1 min, 30 min or 2 h each had the same effect. Rats of another strain were implanted with a hepatoma. 9 out of 10 rats were cured. A late effect was body weight loss due to disturbed growth of the teeth.