CANCER RESEARCH

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LIV, Issue LIV, 21 August 1920, Page 8

CANCER RESEARCH

Some further information concerning the px-oduclion of cancer in rats, to which reference was made a short time ago; in these columns (writes the medical correspondent of The Times) has now been furnished. This is contained in a paper by Professor Fibiger to the “Comptes rendus de la Societe de Bjologie.” It describes the production of cancer of the tongue in these’ animals. Some 217 rats were used. They were fed on cockroaches known to be infected with the worm (spiroptera neoplastica), which seemed to cause cancer. Of 132 rats which survived for 89 days or .more, 61 were found to have inflammation of the tongue and two definite- cancer. Of 85 x-ats dying alter 90 to 180 days, only four had inflammation of the tongue, while three had cancer The inflammation was very similar to that seen in men, and the cancer as typical. The importance of the work ‘is not the fact that this form of cancer is caused by a worm as that it has now become possible to produce cancers of the stomach and tongue at will—-a thing never before accomplished. Thus the study of the origin of cancer can be carried on from a new standpoint The British Medical Journal wisely urges that “it must not be assumed that spontaneous tumours of rats and mice are commonly caused by the ingestion of food containing the spiroptera neoplastica, still less that cancers of higher animal? and man by a similar or indeed by any parasite,”