THE EFFECTS OF SUCCESSIVE HIGH-ENERGY SHOCK-WAVE TUMOR ADMINISTRATIONON TUMOR BLOOD-FLOW

The effects of repeated high-energy shock wave (HESW) tumor administra tion on tumor blood flow (TBF) were studied in NU-1 human kidney cance r xenografts. Deuteriated water was used as a magnetic resonance spect roscopic detectable tracer for measuring tumor blood flow. Tumors were exposed twice to 800 electromagnetically generated HESW, with a 24-h interval or sham exposed. No changes in TBF occurred after sham exposu re to HESW. TBF levels 2 h after the first and second HESW application were, respectively, 46% and 37% lower than the mean preexposure TBF v alue and returned to normal levels within 16 h. There was statisticall y no difference found between the effects on tumor blood flow after th e first and second HESW exposure. These observations are in agreement with earlier studies and provide a rationale to shorten the time inter val between HESW monotreatments to 2 to 3 h.