A PROPOSED ESTIMATE OF THE TUMOR AGGRESSIVENESS OF HUMAN BREAST-CANCER USING RADIORESPIROMETRY

The relationships between carcinomatous aggressiveness and the glucoly tic metabolism, namely the rate of' (CO2)-C-14 production from [U-C-14 ] glucose, are obtained from human breast tissues using radiorespirome try. The values are estimated as the initial velocity (V) expressed in eta(14)CO(2) x min(-1) x g(-1) of fresh tissues by [U-C-14] glucose m etabolism. The aggressiveness of the breast carcinomatous is diagnosed by the SBR grade system. As two control normal tissues, (V) are 0.86 to 0.90 from non-cancer patients. In carcinomatous tissues (Vc), there is an increase from 1.53 to 3.14, but in the corresponding surroundin g non-cancer tissues (Vn) these show a decrease from 2.20 to 0.22 for SBR I, SNR II to SBR III. The ratio between (Vc) and (Vn) are found, a ccording to carcinomatous aggressiveness, as 1.45 to 1.54, 1.69, 2.35 to 2.86 and 4.82 to 10.38 respectively for SBR I, lobular carcinoma, S BR II and SBR III; white the ratio is 1.04 for the normal tissue which come from non-cancer patients. The above results suggest the possibil ity of assessing the carcinomatous aggressiveness by radiorespirometry before a histopathological diagnosis, even in a lower aggressiveness as in SBR I cases which are difficult to diagnose and manage.