The Role of cis-Platinum in Solid-Tumor Therapy

CIS-DIAMMINEDICHLOROPLATINUM (DDP), a heavy metal co-ordination compound with unique antitumor properties, is the first of this type of compound to undergo extensive clinical testing. It has exhibited noteworthy activity in a broad range of solid tumors and represents a major improvement in therapy of some of these neoplasms.Historical BackgroundIn 1965 Rosenberg, Van Camp, and Krigas,1 while investigating bacterial growth in an electrical field, noted that current delivered between platinum electrodes inhibited replication of Escherichia coli. Subsequently, it was determined that growth inhibition was not due to the electrical current per se but was caused by certain . . .