Demonstration of Differences Between Normal and Tumor-Bearing Animals. ∗

Abstract

Summary

A simple experimental procedure is reported which can demonstrate a significant difference in response between certain tumor-bearing mice and their normal controls. The procedure involves challenging the two groups of animals with a lethal dose of a compound capable of reacting with the tumor or one of its metabolites. Either the cancerous or the normal animals may survive longer, depending upon both the type of tumor and the molecular configuration of the compound utilized. The difference in survival time between the tumor-bearing and normal animals is thought to be due to a modification of the toxicity of the administered compound following reaction with a tumor component. The S91 mouse melanoma was employed as the primary model since some of the chemistry of its metabolites is known. Implications of possible utility in the study of the biochemistry of tumors and in chemotherapy are discussed.