Hydrogen Peroxide and Tumour Therapy

Abstract

TEN rats were implanted with Walker tumour and on the same day an succeeding days of the experiment the drinking water was replaced by 0.45 per cent hydrogen peroxide as described by Holman¹. They all died at the same time (13–14 days) with tumours of the same weight (25–34 gm.) as in the ten control rats. Another transplantable tumour, the Sheffield Rd/3 sarcoma, was also used in an exactly similar experiment except that there were 6 rats per group. In the peroxide group all died at 16–21 days (tumour-weight 38–46 gm.) and in the control group receiving tap water there was one natural regression and the remaining 5 died at 16–21 days (tumour-weight 32–39 gm.). We have had a long experience with the actions of possible chemotherapeutic agents on these tumours, and they are responsive to some of them. We can assert confidently that in the environment of the University of Sheffield Field Laboratories this particular treatment is completely ineffective.