Intratumoral Vascular Changes With Increased Size of a Mammary Adenocarcinoma: New Method and Results

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Abstract
Changes with growth of vascular surface area and length per unit volume of tissue were estimated in a transplantable mammary adenocarcinoma, 72j. Over-all mean vascular volume of 16 percent did not change with tumor growth. The vessel diameters widened as the tumor grew, with a consequent drop in the over-all vessel length (820 mm/mm3 in tumors weighing 5 to 30 mg, to 47 mm/mm3 in tumors greater than 1100 mg) and surface area (34 to 7 mm2/mm3). Regional estimates of capillary or sinusoidal areas showed striking differences, i.e., capillary vessel length of 1700 mm per mm3 versus sinusoidal vessel length of 50 mm per mm3 and capillary surface area of 45 mm2 per mm3 versus sinusoidal surface area of 11 mm2 per mm3. The method for preparation of the specimens and calculation of the vascular surface area and length are presented.