Regional Lymphadenectomy and Tumor Curability in C3H/He Mice Transplanted with MH 134

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Abstract
To elucidate the effect of surgical removal of the regional nodes on the immunological defense of the host against the tumor and on the cure rate of C3H/He mice transplanted with MH 134 [ascites heptoma], 3 separate experiments were carried out. The cure rates of mice treated by removal of the primary tumor with regional lymph nodes were significantly lower than that of mice treated by simple amputation without regional lymphadenectomy. A bioassay of the regional node showed that viable tumor cells present in the nodes prior to the operation disappeared after removal of the primary tumor. In 60Co irradiated mice prior to the tumor inoculation, such phenomena were not observed. In vivo neutralization revealed that regional lymph node cells were capable of interfering with growth of tumor cells. Removal of the regional nodes probably impairs the restraint to the growth of residual tumor after the removal of the primary tumor, and this is probably due to a derangement of the immunologic response of the host.