ABSTRACT
This chapter suggests that radiolabeled antibodies can effectively localize and kill micrometastatic nodules of colon cancer. In addition, radioimmunotherapy (RAIT) has been shown to be superior to conventional chemotherapy in treating micrometastatic disease in this preclinical model, thereby supporting a potential role for this procedure as an adjuvant cancer treatment. Surgery is the most common treatment for solid tumors. If removed at an early stage of tumor development, the prognosis can be excellent. As with chemotherapy, there are many possible agents that can be selected for RAIT treatment. In addition, there are many parameters that influence an antibody's targeting ability and ultimately the success of RAIT. Although the pioneering investigators in the 1950s envisioned a future role for radiolabeled antibodies in cancer treatment, RAIT was not aggressively studied until the 1980s. Since adjuvant trials require monitoring time until disease recurrence or survival, a substantial patient population is required with appropriately matched controls.
