A classification of transplantable tumors in Nb rats controlled by estrogen from dormancy to autonomy.

Transplantable tumor lines were previously established from a variety of estrogen-induced tumors in Nb rats, including tumors of the adrenal, cervix, salivary gland, and pancreas, a lymphoma, and a liposarcoma. Spontaneous tumors, however, were found to arise in untreated females and showed the same characteristics. Tumor growth was dependent upon or influenced by estrogen when assessed in estrogenized and unconditioned hosts. Intermittent estrogenization was effective, but tumor growth took place more slowly. The type of response observed led to a new classification of five types of hormone-responsive tumors including tumors inhibited by estrogen. Estrogen-dependent tumor cells might remain dormant indefinitely and not grow in unconditioned animals until stimulated to grow by estrogen. The growth rate of hormone-dependent adrenal carcinomas was related to the amount of estrogen. Tumor growth started more rapidly in the presence of low estrogen dose levels in old rats used as hosts than it did in young rats. Breast carcinomas required the largest amount of estrogen for growth, whereas ovarian thecomas would grow in normal females but not in males. The growth rate in conditioned hosts of most transplanted tumors (some have maintained hormone dependency over 10 years) increased over successive generations. Progression, however, towards a more autonomous state after repeated transplantations was remarkably slow, and a sudden change to autonomy was rarely noted. In contrast, transplants of 9,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene-induced mammary carcinomas progressed rapidly to autonomy. Fould's concept of progression (2, 3) has been discussed but the described classification of tumors under hormone influence apparently allows a more detailed analysis of definition of different types of progression.