Dose-time dependency of tumor formation by chronic UV exposure.

Abstract

Abstract‐An animal experiment is presented which involved a total of 223 albino hairless mice (Skh hr 1). These mice, excluding 24 of them which served as controls, were divided over 6 groups, each of which received a different but constant daily dose of UV radiation from fluorescent sunlamps (Westinghouse FS40TL12). The range of daily doses encompassed a factor of 33. Data on the response of each group as a whole are presented. The group responses are measured in two ways: (1) the proportion of tumor bearing mice (prevalence), and (2) the average number of tumors per survivor (yield). The data provide information on the variation of the group response with time, daily dose and tumor size.The relationship between the daily dose and the duration of the treatment till 50% of the mice have tumors is given for several sizes of tumors. From these results, and from direct measurements of tumor growth, it appears that the growth of tumors is virtually dose‐independent and, in consequence, only the initiation of tumors is dose‐dependent. This implies that the theoretical model of UV‐tumorigenesis presented by Blum (1959). based on UV‐accelerated growth, is incorrect. It is pointed out that, in similarity to chemo‐ and radiotumorigenesis, the total dose delivered to a mouse for the induction of tumors has to be higher if a high daily dose is used than if a low daily dose is used. It seems as though an animal becomes more resistant to the UV‐stimuius as the rate at which the stimulus is presented is increased: an adaptive phenomenon.