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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 2, 1983)
state Protein fights off cancer United Press International HOUSTON — Medical re searchers have successfully used the natural protein, interferon, in a year-long study to reduce the size of tumors spread from kidney cancers, but experts warn “there’s still a long way to g°-” Dr. Jordan U. Gutterman of the University of Texas’ M.D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute said the significance of FREE APARTMENT LOCATOR SERVICE • Apartments • Duplexes • Houses • Fourplexes • Townhouses Now leasing for summer and fall. Special sum mer rates now available Walking & biking dis tance to T A M U HOMEFINDER PROPERTY MANAGEMENT 696-1005 1055 S. Texas C.S. the development is that kidney cancer and tumors that spread from it have been very resistant to treatment. “It’s a continued advance,” he said. The interferon pioneer cal led the development a small but important step forward in use of the substance, a protein found in the body in tiny amounts. He said treating cancers spread from the kidneys is only a first step in the eventual treat ment of kidney cancer itself. But, he cautioned, “There’s still a long way to go.” The results of Guttermap’s year-long study conducted at Anderson appear in the current issue of Cancer Research, the publication of the American Association for Cancer Re search. “The importance of this study is that (it appears) the use of a relatively non-toxic biological agent, interferon, can induce disappearance of a metastatic tumors (cancers that have spread) in patients with a tumor that previously was resistant to other methods of treatment,” Gutterman said. Dr. Frank J. Rauscher Jr., re search vice president of the * * * + * * * Hair Today... Beautiful Tomorrow! Reshape brows and hairlines and remove un wanted hair on face, body and legs. PERMANENT and much less expensive than temporary and time consuming alternatives. * * * * * * * American Cancer Society, said studies by other investigators already have supported Gutter- man’s findings. Kidney cancer usually is fatal shortly after diagnosis. The can cer society estimates this year 18,200 new cases of kidney and urinary cancers other than blad- “The importance of this study is that (it appears) the use of a relatively n on - toxic biological agen t, in terferon, ca n induce disappearance of a metastatic tumors (cancers that have spread) in patients with a tumor that previously was resistant to other methds of treatment,” Dr. Jordan U. Gutter- man said. der will be diagnosed, and 8,500 victims will die from the disease. The Gutterman study in volved 19 patients — 14 males and five females — ranging in age from 29 to 75 years old. All suffered from malignant tumors in their kidneys and in each case the tumors had been removed surgically. Gutterman, along with Drs. Jorge R. Quesada, David A. Swanson and Antonio Trindale, included in the study patients whose kidney cancer had spread to the lungs, the lymph nodes behind the breasts or other parts of the body. To avoid contamination of the results, all 19 patients were removed from any other cancer treatment a month before the interferon test began. The study showed that five of the patients, or 26 percent, showed a 50 percent or greater decrease in the tumors in their lungs after receiving daily inter feron injections. Two other patients, or 10.5 percent of the group, had be tween 25 and 50 percent reduc tion. Additionally, in one patient the disease had stabilized for over two months and in another patient for six months. In three other patients there were mixed effects — both re gression and progression of the tumors in the same person’s body. Seven patients, or 37 per cent, showed progressive dis ease during the study despite in terferon. Quesada said “follow-up has been short to estimate the full impact of this investigational treatment on survival and clinic al benefit to the patient.” The study was supported by a grant from the National Cancer Institute, Enid Haupt Founda tion, the Albert and Mary Las ker Foundation and the Inter feron Foundation, and coordin ated by Dr. John Kirkwood, of Yale Medical School. The interferon was supplied through the Interferon Founda tion of Houston and the State Serum Institute of the Finnish Red Cross Center in Helskini, Finland. University Lutheran Chapel 315 N. College Main Hubert Beck, Pastor XT WORSHIP IS A WAY OF SAYING WHO OR WHAT IS SHAPING YOUR LIFE — WHO OR WHAT YOU LOVE. If you want your life shaped by God, worship is important to you. We would be glad to have you with us Sunday. 846-6687 X Grateful? 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