The constancy and variability of tumour-cells during propogation / by E.F. Bashford.

  • Bashford, E. F. (Ernest Francis), 1873-
Date:
1914
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The constancy and variability of tumour-cells during propogation / by E.F. Bashford. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    In speaking of the structure of the tumours reference has been made to the formation by cancer-cells of chemical products, keratin, fat,glycogen, which can be made visible, and also to the variability in the formation of these substances. It appears that some more subtle metabolic product is concerned in the production of sarcoma. Constancy and Variability in ‘ Immunity ’ Reactions producing Hindrances to Growth Tumours presenting all types of growth have been maintained in propagation ; at one end of the series there are tumours which grow rapidly and progressively in all animals and produce metastases by dissemination in a high proportion of cases, while at the other end there are tumours which, while they at first grow rapidly in all animals, soon cease to grow and ultimately disappear. Between these two extremes there are intermediate tumours showing many combinations between rate of growth, percentage of successful inoculations, and liability to disappearance by absorption. It is now clearly established that these varying phenomena of growth are due mainly to the different degrees with which the several tumours induce hindrance to their own growth and are susceptible to this hindrance. Variations exist in the strength of the reaction in individual animals, but play a less important part except for the intermediate group of tumours. In 1906 the work in the labora¬ tories first attracted attention to the part played by the concomitant development of active immunity in hindering growth. It was then pointed out with regard to inoculation that ‘ where small doses give a maximum of success, large doses may also do so, giving much larger tumours in a shorter time ; on the other hand the larger doses may be less successful \ The problem involved in this contradictory behaviour turned out to be one of extraordinary complexity, varying with the variations in the powers of continued growth from one tumour strain to another even when no histological distinction could be drawn between them. The explanation, now arrived at after six or seven years’ intense study, would not have been possible had not the behaviour of the 86 tumour strains of distinct primary origin been carefully followed. Thereby it became possible to divide the tumours into groups which showed specific types of growth, and from these groups to select individual tumour strains exhibiting the features characteristic of each group in the highest degree. These features have only been brought out by growing the tumours in the soil afforded by normal mice, and as the soil has been maintained as uniform as possible, the differences brought out must have been inherent in the original spontaneous tumours. Just as the histological structures and other appearances referred to above may remain constant or may vary, so also may the power of growth. Tumour 206 after five years still grows rapidly in every animal inoculated, but the tumours soon stop growing and disappear. Tumour 47 after III G