Neoplastic Growths 263 



is benignant, but under the influence of carcinogens it may become 

 malignant. A series of papers has been devoted to its possible cure 

 bv colchicine."^'- ^^- •'^■' This may be obtained after injections of colchi- 

 cine in the animal."'' \\ hile one is always limited by the toxicity re- 

 actions, it was found that the local application of a colchicine oint- 

 ment to the skin tumors could definitly cure a great number of 

 animals. A remarkable and rather perturbing fact was noticed.''-' If 

 both ears of a rabbit are inoculated with the Shope virus, and a cure 

 is obtained on one side with the colchicine ointment, the tumors of 

 the other ear become more liable to undergo a malignant change into 

 carcinomas. The conclusions of these papers are most important for 

 they opened a new pathAvay for the use of colchicine in human 

 patiiology.'^^ To quote: ". . . these experimental data suggest the 

 possibility of using colchicine in human therapeutics . . . by local 

 applications, to precancerous lesions or benignant skin tumors." * 

 The results obtained in tumor-bearing patients will now be discussed. 



10.4: Chemotherapy of Human Neoplasms 



The suggestion of a local application of colchicine, enabling a 

 strong concentration to act upon abnormal cells without general 

 toxicity symptoms, was taken up in 1941. Colchicine, either in a 

 paste or an injection as an oily solution, was applied to metastatic 

 nodules of epithelial cancers.*"'" The volume of the treated metastases 

 clearly decreased. 



However, it appeared more logical to begin Avith benign growths 

 of the skin. Some of these, such as the venereal papillomas or warts, 

 may be very extensive, and their treatment by usual methods involves 

 large surgical excisions. These are virus-induced growths, compar- 

 able to the papillomas of the rabbit. A colchicine-lanoline paste 

 (0.05 per cent) was applied twice daily to six of such cases.^i Re- 

 markable regressions were observed after several weeks of treatment. 

 The tumor became more and more resistant to colchicine, and ni 

 the last stages, had to be removed surgically. 1 his was facilitated con- 

 siderably by the regression of the size and extension of the tumor. 

 Colchicine-mitoses can be found in great numbers in biopsies of 

 treated papillomas.*^ It is quite evident that the regression of the 

 neoplastic growth is a simple consequence of the arrest of its cell 

 divisions. No hemorrhage is to be seen. It appears also that the mito- 

 ses of normal skin are less modified by the treatment, for there is no 

 .skin ulceration, and after the tumor has disappeared, the skin has a 

 normal aspect. ^^- ^ 



* A. Pevron. G. Poumeaii-Delillc, ;m<l R. LaFay. I.a tiimeur de Shope du 

 lapin et sa sterilisation par la cokliiciiif. Hull. Assoc. Franc, tlude Cancer 26:633. 

 1<)37. 



