Effect of circumstances and/or organs on the grade of cancer growth and malignancy

The effect of circumstances and/or organs on the grade of cancer growth and malignancy was studied, using hereditarily identical VX2 cancer. VX2 cancer cells, 10(6) cells/0.1 approximately 0.2 ml, were injected into the liver, portal vein, stomach- and colon-walls of Japanese white rabbits. Each of the experimental groups consisted of 14, 12, 19 and 24 animals, and 3 or 4 animals of each groups were sacrificed 7, 14, 21 and 28 days after the implantation. All the animals of portal vein and liver groups died of cancer within 3 and 4 weeks respectively. However, all the animals of stomach and colon groups survived during 4 weeks. Although cancer volume doubling time was not calculated in portal group because of the multiple and diffuse tumor-formation, the time was 2.6 days in liver, 4.3 days in colon and 5.9 days in stomach groups in which a single tumor developed. Lymphatic and/or hematogenous metastases were found at the same time after the implantation as vascular invasion occurred. Metastases were confirmed in 100% in liver group and 40% in portal group 2 weeks after the implantation, and 80% and 50% in colon and stomach groups respectively 4 weeks after the implantation. The results suggested that hereditarily identical VX2 cancer was variable in the different organs and circumstances, and that the growing circumstances strongly affected the cancer malignancy. It was also suggested that the malignancy was correlated with the growth rate and the time of metastasis of cancer.