Abstract
Summary
1. The tissue oxygen tension of a variety of benign and malignant cutaneous tumors was measured in vivo by means of a platinum oxygen cathode. 2. Malignant tumors, and benign lesions characterized by marked cellular infiltration or acanthosis, showed a very low oxygen tension as compared to that of the immediately adjacent normal skin. Benign lesions characterized by little or no increase in cellularity showed normal tissue pO2. 3. The marked decrease of tissue oxygen tension of malignant tumors is probably due to a combination of an abnormality of the vascular system (insufficient oxygen supply) and a relative rise of oxygen consumption (resulting from a marked increase of respiring cell mass as compared to that of the normal skin). In benign cellular lesions, the latter factor is probably of primary importance. 4. The possible relationships of our observations to the hypoxia theory of carcinogenesis and to tumor radiosen-sitivity are discussed.
The author is indebted to Dr. Werner Noell of the Department of Anesthesiology, Roswell Park Memorial Institute for invaluable help, constant interest and stimulating suggestions. The amplifying and recording systems used in these experiments were designed and built by Mr. George Peirce of the Robi-nette Foundation, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.
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