Consider this scenario, where 35 year old female is diagnosed for breast cancer (malignant), her Breast tumor is completely dissected from her breast or body via mastectomy or lumpectomy.
Later the dissected tumor is made in to cell suspension and after a day or week after her surgery (mastectomy/lumpectomy) it is delivered back to the same patient via intravenously or in another mammary pad..
Will the injected suspension of tumor can give rise to tumor mass again in her another breast or other parts of her body..
NOTE: Patient is not immuno-compromised and tumor is not only encompass cancer stem cell..
My assumption is when cells are injected back to the same patient from different environment (Intravenously) ,it wont form mass again. (9 in 10 patient).
I REQUEST expertise people to give your suggestion with reference and correct me if my assumption is wrong.. My advance appreciation for every one, who comment on it ..
Dear Suresh
Our research in this field is fully experimental. So it is not easy to foresee or presume what the results of such an experiment would be, based solely on a theoretical reasoning.
But there are certain general concepts that can be applied in this biological exercise:
1) The malignant cells of a tumor may have metastatic phenotype or lack it. If they lack metastatic phenotype, of course they will not colonize tissue when injected intravenously. Now, if they are inserted in another mammary pad it is highly possible that they will produce a new tumor. Immunocompetence is a capital issue in this case, but probably the immune system will not recognize this new tissue as a foreign tissue.
2) Another important aspect is the nature of the cells: a) highly malignant and invasive b) highly metastatic c) both d) none.
So that only after a thorough consideration of different issues may we presume a result. These issues should be:
a) tumor phenotype
b) immunocompetence of the host
c) Method of introduction: IV or autograft
d) Preparation of the tumor to be transplanted.
e) And many other aspects of the metastatic cascade which are too long to describe here.
I suggest the following reading on surgical dissemination of tumors: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1431365/
http://clincancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/4/2/343.short
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/bjs.1800810506/abstract
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF02552962
The surgical dissemination of tumors is not really what you are asking, but may give a pretty good idea of what happens in the real world (not in an experimental environment).
I hope this may be useful for you.
I'd say the underlying concept in this question is an artificially, deliberately spread secondary tumor deposit, aka 'metastasis'. Yes, probably living tumor cells injected in the patient herself would, but I can't imagine any usefulness in attempting this, and if I were in the ethical committee reviewing the proposal, I'd say, no, no, no. Highly risky, if not deadly for the patient, it doesn't look as specific, active immune therapy or as a tumor vaccine, and secondarily, it may harm the investigator in charge and the institution.
First: autonomy, non maleficency, beneficency. It's more a Helsinki declaration issue than a case report. Thanks, regards, + Salut
Dear Joe Graymer
I think that the question raised by Suresh is absolutely theoretical, and I do not think that he really is planning to perform an experiment as the one outlined in the question.
Of course, these kind of experiments on human beings go against all the principles established by different bioethical codes. It is not, I assume the intention of Suresh.
Regards
It was a misunderstanding, perhaps, this type of theoretical doubts may be considered first as a lab animal experience, talking about an human case induces fears, and the procedure described may almost surely induce a new tumor deposit., ie.a worsening from baseline condition. ??
Many thanks to Dr.Tomas and Dr.Joe..
The question is just an imagination.. to develop interest and to explore further.
I am sorry ,i am just a budding researcher,i dont have rights to comment on both of your lines . but i like to take comments from expertise to correct my knowledge or assumption thinking.
I would like to take part in this argument. I totally agree with tomas statement ,the malignant cell with metastatic phenotype when inserted in another mammary pad it is highly possible that they will produce a new tumor or form a colony.
What happen when we inject breast cancer with metastatic phenotype back to the patient or same host via intravenously (IV)..
As i assumed earlier the chance of survival and forming new colony by this suspension of breast cancer (with metastatic phenotype or non metastatic phenotype breast cancer ) via IV is too too low i.e among million of cells that detach from the original site (breast) only
Invasiveness, metatasizing potential, way and target organ of secondary deposits, and pace of tumor cells growth may have a biological background, and markers. Yours was a funny joke, considering that your final comment is scientifically sound, while the wording in the question was a bit in the line of custom's agent Rousseau paintings or of the political proposals of the character 'Ceferino Piriz' in 'Rayuela', a novel by Julio Cortazar
. Colorectal cancer cell lines tend not having major or highly prevalent changes from primary to mts, from beggining to late stages, from a part in a lump to another not too far apart in the same lump, literature exists about these aspects in individual types of malignancies, including breast cancer subtypes. Don't know why, but the song by Georges Brassens comes to my mind. 'Il porte un joli nom, Saturne, mais c'est un dieu, fort inquietant. Thanks, have a good academic year, and care of yourself, brother
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Medicine
- Oncology
- Cancer Research
- Cancer Biology
- Cancer Cells
- Cancer Stem Cells