Enhancing effect of thoracotomy and/or laparotomy on the development of the lung metastases in rats after intravenous inoculation of tumor cells

To evaluate the effect of operative stress on the tumor growth, thoracotomy and/or laparotomy were performed 48 hours after the inoculation of Sato lung cancer cells in Donryu rats. The survival time, the number of metastatic foci on the surface of the lung and the per cent-area of metastatic foci in the frontal section through the pulmonary hilus were observed. Thoracotomy and laparothoracotomy reduced significantly the survival time as compared with the control but no significant difference was found between the two test groups subjected to operative stress. The number and percent-area of metastatic foci found were inversely related to the length of the survival time.