Periodicity in metastatic tumour growth demonstrated in the human liver at autopsy. Preliminary report.

The present study is based on 1,069 autopsies made up of stomach, breast, renal and colonic cancer. Periodicity is described in the liver weight index (liver weight/body height) at death in patients with liver metastases. The seasonal variation tended to be more marked in females and among older patients, and it differed with tumour type. A period with maximum deaths tended to follow that of maximum liver weight index. A periodic difference previously reported in a small series of malignant melanomas is thus not an isolated phenomenon. This indicates that basic biological pathways concerned with the control of tumour growth may be involved. How the system works remains an open question.

Haematogenous metastatic patterns in colonic carcinoma: an analysis of 1541 necropsies.

The sequence of events in haematogenous metastasis from colonic carcinoma was analysed, using 1541 necropsy reports from 16 centres. The findings are consistent with the cascade hypothesis that metastases develop in discrete steps, first in the liver, next in the lungs and finally, in other sites. Deviations of necropsy findings from the cascade model are largely explained on the basis of false negative reports. In only 216 of 1194 cases was there suggestive evidence that metastatic patterns (excluding lymph nodes) were causally related to lymphatic or non-haematogenous pathways. The incidence of metastatic involvement in 'other' (quaternary) sites correlated with target organ blood-flow (ml min-) per g, only when bone marrow and thyroid were excluded. In the thyroid the incidence was lower than expected on the basis of blood flow per g tissue; this may indicate that the thyroid is an unfavourable site for metastatic growth of colonic carcinoma. In the bone marrow it is higher; the latter may be due to delivery of cancer cells via both arterial blood and the vertebral venous plexus. Recognition of this pattern of metastases in the bone marrow could be important with respect of diagnosis and therapy, in patients with colonic carcinoma.

[Screening tests for gonorrhea in clinics for contraceptive advice]. / Förekomst av gonorré hos antikonceptionssökande kvinnor.

PIP: The Swedish Association for Sex Education tested 1556 women for gonorrhea. The women were 14-49 years of age and attended contraceptive clinics in Stockholm and Goteborg. Cultures were taken from the urethra, cervix, and rectum. 24 (1.5%) of the women had gonorrhea, of whom 23 were between 15-24. 21 of the 1023 unmarried women had positive gonorrhea tests. 16 of the 1137 women who used oral contraceptives had positive tests. Gonococci were found in 20 cervical tests, 11 urethral tests, and 6 rectal tests. 3 cases were diagnosed solely by the rectal tests. 11 of the 24 women had no symptoms, 6 pelvic afflictions, and 3 had urethral afflictions. In some cases men who had had sexual contact with the infected women were tested; 1 positive gonorrhea test was found among these men.^ieng