Review of recent cancer research / by E.F. Bashford.

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

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Review of recent cancer research / by E.F. Bashford. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library at Columbia University and Columbia University Libraries/Information Services, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the the Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library at Columbia University and Columbia University.

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    by the third or fourth passage the percentage of takes reaches a level which has remained constant for years for the majority of our tumours, when grown in as many parallel sister strains as possible. Most of the tumour strains show as yet unexplained and apparently periodic fluctuations from time to time. There are, however, some remarkable exceptions to constant behaviour and to them special reference will be made. AMien a tumour is transplanted it undergoes entire histolog- ical disorganisation. This process has been repeated over and over again every se^■en or ten days, or after longer intervals, for years. Assuming that the only common factor for all the irri- tants associated with cancer is their power to induce proliferation, the process is as analogous as is possible to the chronic prolifer- ation which precedes the development of cancer, always bearing in mind that it is the read}- made tumcjur or cancer cell which is being studied. Xutwithstanding the fact that we are not produc- ing the cancer cell at will, but are merely studying its behaviour— since it is clearly demonstrated that the cancer cell is a genealog- ical descendant of a normal cell—we are justified in assuming that the propagated cancer cell will behave similarly to its geneal- ogical ascendants in its host of origin provided, of course, that we largely neglect the possible influence of strange environment. After the disorganisation caused by transplantation, it is nec- essary to give time for a tumour to resume its normal haljits. Therefore, it is advisal)le to study not merely the material pre- ser\-ed at the time of each transplantation. Init also tuniour> that have grown for some time. It is then found that the char- acteristic histological structure is reproduced as a rule, it may l)e very rapidly, or it may be only after prolonged growth. Tliis characteristic diO'ercnliation occurs in si)ite of the fact that the connective tissue and vascular scaffolding has to be reproduced anew by eacli fresli liost, taking i)lace with e(jual regularity in adenoma, cystic papillifcroiis carcinoma, and solid carcinoma of the mamma, as well as in squamous-cellcd carcinoma and in ade- noma of the sebaceous and preputial glands. The latter, notwith- standing vears of ])ropagation, still re|)roduces a structure whicli cannr)t l)e distinguislied under tlie microscojK' from tlic normal