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The Effect of Thorium Dioxide (Thorotrast) on Metastases of the Walker Carcinoma 256 and the Relation of Tumor Size to Frequency of Metastases^*

Louis J. Bernard, Arthur M. Dutton and Michael Radakovich

( Division of Cancer Research, Department of Surgery, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, N.Y.)

Male Sprague-Dawley rats of the same age and weight were given inoculations intradermally or subcutaneously of an emulsion of Walker carcinoma 256. All animals of a series received the same initial dose of inoculum. Forty-eight hours later one-half the animals were given intravenous injections of Thorotrast into the tail vein. At 30 days the animals were sacrificed by decapitation, and a careful search for metastases to the soft tissues was conducted on each animal. Findings were as follows:

1. Thorotrast had no effect on the incidence of tumor takes, on the final size attained by the tumors in 30 days, or on the incidence of metastases to the regional nodes, lungs, or other tissues.

2. Tumor implants of the same age and arising from the same dose of inoculum varied widely in final size. The incidence of regional and distant metastases correlated well with final tumor size at 30 days.

^* This study was supported by a grant from the Anna Fuller Fund.

Public Health Service Research Fellow of the National Cancer Institute.

Statistics Section, Atomic Energy Project.

Received 2/11/55.