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Studies on the Mechanism of Cortisone-induced Metastases of Transplantable Mouse Tumors^*

Thomas C. Pomeroy

( Lankenau Hospital Research Institute and the Institute for Cancer Research, Philadelphia, Pa.)

1. Cortisone acetate administered to Swiss mice concomitant with intravenous injections of tumor cell suspensions produced widespread metastasis beyond the lung filter in the case of Krebs-II adenocarcinoma, but not with Sarcoma 37.

2. That this was an effect on local tissues or the "soil" was indicated by a marked discrepancy in number and distribution of both tumors after left ventricular injection of the tumor cells with and without cortisone treatment.

3. A marked variation in tissue reactivity around individual "metastases" in a single organ developed concomitant with recovery of the reticuloendothelial tissues.

4. It was concluded that the major mechanism involved may be an effect of cortisone on the reticuloendothelial tissues resulting in failure of tissue-specific antibody production. The latter may also be dependent upon the variable "antigenicity" of the tumor cells giving rise to each metastasis and thus may be an immunological selection phenomenon.

^* Supported in part by grants-in-aid from the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, U.S.P.H.S., Bethesda, Md.

Research Associate, Lankenau Hospital Research Institute and the Institute for Cancer Research, and Assistant Physician, Clinical Oncologic Research Service of the Lankenau Hospital, Philadelphia.

Received 10/12/53.

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