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Hepatic Catalase Activity in Advanced Human Cancer¹

Medicine A Service, Roswell Park Memorial Institute, New York State Department of Health, and the Department of Medicine, State University of New York at Buffalo, New York

Hepatic catalase activity in unanesthetized man has been determined by measuring the disappearance rate of hydrogen peroxide spectrophotometrically in homogenates from needle biopsy specimens of liver. Ten healthy male prisoners, 59 patients with advanced cancer, and 60 cadavers shortly after death with cancer were studied.

There is a wide range of catalase activity in normal human liver. Catalase activity per gm of liver nitrogen in patients dead with cancer was approximately 40% of the normal mean. In serial biopsy studies, advancing cancer with progressive clinical deterioration was associated with decreasing catalase activity which occurred independently from weight change. Response to chemotherapy, surgery, or radiation therapy evidenced by objective regression of tumor masses was associated with a rise in liver catalase activity. This pattern of catalase response was found in all the broad classes of cancer studied. In the presence of profound systemic drug toxicity, catalase elevation was sometimes not seen despite tumor regression. When survival of those who responded and those who failed to respond to their cancer treatments were compared, there is a clear survival advantage for those who sustained response. This advantage was anticipated by higher liver catalase activity after response to treatment.

¹ Supported in part by Grant T-231B from the American Cancer Society, and Grant CA-05834 from the NIH.

² Present address: 40–56 Higashibunka, Sendai, Japan.

³ Present address: Veterans Administration Hospital, Fort Wayne, Indiana.

⁴ To whom reprint requests should be made.

Received 3/30/64. Revised 2/14/66.