The behaviour of carcinoma of the large bowel in man following transplantation into immune deprived mice

Abstract

The growth of carcinoma of the human large bowel was studied in the first 2 passages in immune deprived mice. The tumours were obtained from large bowel resections on 3 people. There was a strong histological similarity between the patient's tumour and the tumour that grew subcutaneously in the mice 2-8 months after implantation. One dissimilarity observed was a higher mitotic index in some of the tumours growing in the immune deprived animals. In the second passage of the bowel tumours, cells were implanted into groups of 8-10 animals in the following sites: subcutaneous, intramuscular, intravenous, intrahepatic, intraperitoneal and intrathoracic. Growth of tumour was observed from all 3 tumours when they were implanted subcutaneously, intramuscularly, intraperitoneally and intrathoracically. Infiltration of muscle by tumour was a frequent finding. Lung metastases developed after intravenous injection of cells in 1 of the 3 tumours. In none of the 3 tumours did growth follow injection of cells directly into the substance of the liver. On no occasions were spontaneous metastases observed.