Oxy-radicals can be generated at the cellular level by organic compounds displaying appropriated redox properties allowing one-electron transfer processes. Among the different molecules endowed with these properties, one can found a majority of cytotoxic antitumor agents whose mechanism of action involves the nuclear DNA degradation of the target cells. The nature of DNA damages produced by these antitumor agents using various experimental models is in agreement with the occurrence of oxy-radicals-mediated reactions. In most cases, a relationship between the redox properties and the action of these compounds at the molecular level is observed.

Phytochemical and pharmacological studies on Taxus sp extracts have resulted in the isolation and the identification of several diterpenoids, and the discovery of the potent antitumor activity of taxol. This natural compound displays a unique mechanism of action as it stabilizes microtubules and inhibits their depolymerization into free tubulin. The emergence of taxol from the screening of natural products shows the benefits and the potent interest of these constituents in the search of drugs exhibiting novel mechanisms of action. The most pressing problem in taxol or taxol derivates commercialization is the drug supply. Alternative sources of taxol are now under investigation, mainly the total synthesis of taxol, the hemisynthesis of taxol or of taxotere from 10-deacetylbaccatine III, the in vitro production of taxol by cell or tissue cultures, and the prospection of new natural sources of taxol.

One of the best known iatrogenic effects of anticancer treatments is the sterility of young patients with a good prognosis, hence the necessity to develop a protocol enabling us to preserve male reproductive function. This review of the literature summarises the various approaches investigated in order to obtain protection of spermatogenesis prior to radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. Most of these pathways involve hormone therapy based on regulation of the hypothalamo-hypophyso-testicular axis. Animal models are generally used in these experiments. The various applications in man are described and discussed.

We evaluated the efficacy and safety of piperacillin-pefloxacin potentially associated to vancomycin as a non nephrotoxic antimicrobial therapy in febrile neutropenic cancer patients, treated with nephrotoxic chemotherapy. Fifty-seven patients: 49 with solid tumors and 8 non-Hodgkin lymphomas, were treated during 85 episodes with: piperacillin 4 g IV every 8 h pefloxacin 400 mg IV every 12 h. If the patient remained febrile after 72 h, 1 g of vancomycin IV was added every 12 h. The mean duration of neutropenia was 7 days (3-14 days). In 44 episodes, the granulocyte nadir was < 100/mm3. Infection was microbiologically documented in 17 episodes (20%) with ten Gram-positive cocci and 11 Gram-negative bacilli. There were 64 apyrexia with piperacillin-pefloxacin (75%) and further 14 were resolved by the addition of vancomycin (total success = 92%); three early changes because of clinical deterioration (two episodes) or germ resistance (one episode); three protocol violations, and one apyrexia by addition of amphotericin. Neither septic death nor toxicity were observed. We conclude that this empirical treatment is active and safe and avoids nephrotoxicity in cancer patients heavily treated with nephrotoxic chemotherapy.