Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Cancer : its classification and remedies / by J.W. Bright. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard Medical School.
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![First, as to the absolute value of the instrument in diagnosing ■a malignaRt tumor; second, as to the existence of specific cancer- cells. On the first point we have several conflicting statements: First, that in some tumors of an undoubtedly cancero^us nature, cells are absent; second, that they have been found in tumors of a non- malignant character; third, that the absence of cells from a hard tumor shows it to be non-malignant. On these statements I can only briefly remark, first, that in doubtful cancerous tumors, as shown by their softness, it is possible that the cells may have un- dergone a process of disintegration, though I doubt whether cells could not be found in some portion of such tumors; second, that cystic sarcoma,—to which I suppose reference is made when it is said that cells are found in non-malignant tumors,—has a great ten- tendency to degenerate; third, that we must remember that appa- rently simple tumors are known sometimes to assume a malignant type, and therefore I scarcely see how it can be predicated of any one of them that it would not act in this way. After all, as I shall presently take occasion to point out more fully, the question of ma- lignity is a relative one, and as cells are most liable to assume that •state of action to which I would apply the term malignant, I think that the existence of cells in a tumor affords grounds for regarding at as either malignant or likely to become so, while the negative evi- dence is only valuable so far as it shows the most obvious condi- tions of malignity not to have yet been assumed. As to the specific siature of the cancer-cell, I can only state here that a consideration of the opinions of the numerous microscopists to whom I have re- ferred, together with the few observations I have been able to make personally, lead me to doubt whether there is a diagnostic cell. I should be guided more by finding cells in situations where they ought 33ot to be; and if there is any cell more diagnostic of cancer than an- other, it is the large parent-cells with from three to five smaller ones an it. But the absence of such cells does not show that the disease is not cancer. [^Assoeiated Journal, Dec. 15, 1855, p. 415.] Here is still another evidence that the profession is giving attention io those distinctive characteristics of cancer, and although there were](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21043541_0152.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
