Specific Character of Metastatic Lesions of Gastrointestinal Cancer

Nobuhiko Tanigawa, Takumi Shimomatsuya, Kohji Takahashi, Tetsuya Horiuchi, Yasuhito Kitakado, Yasuhiko Masuda, Ryusuke Muraoka

Second Department of Surgery, Fukui Medical University

Processes leading to the metastasis of tumor cells consist of various fundamental cell behaviors such as cell adhesion, cell movement and cell proliferation. In this study we focused on the proliferating ability of metastatic cells as relevant to metastasis. By using fresh gastric and colorectal cancer specimens, the biological characteristics, chemosensitivity, in vitro and in vivo growth potential, and DNA ploidy of primary and metastatic specimens were compared. The results indicate that (1) cells responsible for metastasis formation are mainly aneuploid cells with high proliferating potential and (2) in the early phase of metastasis formation, tumor cells have a very high growth potential and are also chemosensitive. Therefore, postoperative early chemotherapy should be beneficial in terms of prevention of metastasis formation.

Key words
tumor heterogeneity, chemosensitivity, tumor growth potential

Reprint requests
Nobuhiko Tanigawa Second Department of Surgery, Fukui Medical University
23 Matsuoka-cho, Yoshida-gun, Fukui, 910-11 JAPAN

Accepted
November 19, 1990

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