Current status of knowledge and critical issues in tumor oxygenation. Results from 25 years research in tumor pathophysiology.

Abstract

In 1972 we started the systematic investigation of oxygenation status in (a) experimental tumor systems in rats and mice [e.g., 1–6], (b) in human tumors xenotransplanted into immune-deficient rnu/rnu-rats [e.g., 7–9], (c) in tumors derived from spontaneously tumorigenic or ras-transformed cell lines [10], and (d) in human tumors in situ [e.g., 11–15] under various pathophysiological conditions using polarographic O2 needle electrodes. In the earlier studies a cryospectrophotometric ex vivomicrotechnique was also used that allowed the measurement of HbO2 saturation in individual red blood cells in tumor microvessels [e.g., 16, 17]. Besides polarographic and cryospectrophotometric microtechniques, mathematical evaluations of the pO2 distribution in tumor tissues have additionally been used to gain an insight into the oxygenation of microareas in tumor tissues [e.g., 18–21].KeywordsMetastatic LesionUterine CervixOxygenation StatusTumor HypoxiaTumor OxygenationThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.