Therapeutic efficacy of capecitabine in combination with lenalidomide on experimentally induced hamster buccal pouch carcinoma

Objective: The current research was directed to examine the therapeutic efficacy of capecitabine (CAP) in combination with lenalidomide (LEN) on experimentally induced hamster buccal pouch (HBP) carcinoma. Subjects and methods: 40 male Syrian hamsters, aged 5 weeks, measuring between 80 and 120 grams, were split up into 4 groups (10 in each). GI: Animals that are not given any therapy. GII: Animals were painted with 0.5% 7, 12-dimethylbenz (a) anthracene (DMBA) (3times/week/14 weeks). GIII (CAP): DMBA was applied as in GII to induce cancer followed by administration of CAP orally by modified syringe, 600mg/kg/day, daily for a week followed by a week of rest, then a week of treatment. GIV(CAP+LEN) animals were painted with DMBA as in GII then CAP was administered as in GIII in addition to LEN, which was administered orally by modified syringe, 50 mg/Kg/ day, daily for 3 weeks. Euthanasia of animals was done at the end of experiment, then every right pouch was removed, and divided into two parts for further histologic and flowcytometric evaluation. Results: Gross observations demonstrated that complete disappearance of lesions was found in 5 animals in GIV compared to 3 animals in GIII. Histologic observations showed major pathologic response (MPR) in 5 animals in GIV compared to 3 in GIII. Flowcytometric detection of apoptosis using annexin V/ PI assay demonstrated that the percentage of apoptotic cells in GIV was significantly higher than in GIII. Conclusions: The addition of LEN increased the therapeutic efficacy of CAP through increased apoptosis induction in OSCC.