Patients with gastrointestinal carcinomas have been studied for evidence of reactivity against tumor-associated determinants expressed on both fresh and cultured syngeneic or allogeneic tumor cells using immunoperoxidase staining techniques. Tumor-associated antigens have been isolated from both animal and human pancreatic cancers and have been investigated for possible applications of immunotherapy or methods of immunodiagnosis. Monoclonal antibodies have been developed to tumor-associated determinants in both hamster and human pancreatic cancers and have been demonstrated to be cytotoxic cells both in vitro and in vivo. Tolerance of various normal and surgically-manipulated tissues to intraoperative radiotherapy has been investigated in dogs to determine both acute and long-term toxicity from radiation effects. Clinical trials of intraoperative radiotherapy have been performed including feasibility and developmental studies, randomized trials in resectable and unresectable pancreatic carcinoma, randomized trials in gastric carcinoma, and randomized trials in retroperitoneal sarcomas.
