Proceedings of the British Institute of Radiology, Hypoxic cell sensitizers: back in fashion?

There has been a great effort in the clinic to apply laboratory knowledge concerning the oxygen effect to the benefit of patients receiving radiotherapy. A considerable number of randomized trials using hyperbaric oxygen have shown benefit but only a few of those using nitroimidazoles as hypoxic cell radiosensitizers. The results of studies using a second generation of chemical agents are now becoming available. In head and neck tumours nimorozole appears to give advantage but, so far, only a small non-significant margin has been shown with etanidazole. In carcinoma of the cervix, patients receiving pimonidazole did less well than those in a control group.