Polyamine modifications during radiotherapy

Evidence has been provided that the plasmatic and urinary level of polyamines correlates to the tumor kinetics in patients affected by cancer. Urinary excretion of spermidine (Spd), spermine (Spm), putrescine (Put) and cadaverine (Cad) was investigated to detect differences in the tissue damage produced by varying modalities of radiotherapy. The patients used for the study were: a) 54 with ENT tumors, treated either with 2 Gy/day (60-65 Gy in 6-7 weeks), or with a multifraction of 3 daily fractions of 2 Gy (48-52 Gy in 10-12 days); b) 35 with cervical cancer treated with 2 Gy daily fractions (50-60 Gy in 5-6 weeks); c) 6 with NH lymphoma treated with a multifractionated Total Body Irradiation (TBI) of 3 daily fractions of 0.125 Gy (1.85 Gy in 5 days). The level of urinary polyamines was determined pre-treatment and at fixed intervals during and after irradiation. Pre-treatment levels of Put and Spd were significantly higher than in normal healthy patients. TBI determined marked variations of the pre-treatment levels: a decrease of Put and Cad and an increase in Spd. A decrease of the ratio Put/Spd was also observed in the patients with higher pre-treatment levels treated on the pelvic region and on TBI. The study is still ongoing to correlate variations with the therapeutic result