Infiltration of Intra-abdominal Organs by Ascites Tumours

Abstract

THE ability of tumour tissue to invade ‘normal’ tissues, to enter circulatory systems of the body and to grow at sites near and distant from the primary source is one of the basic characteristics of malignant growth. However, this property is not diagnostic, for certain non-malignant (normal) tissues can permeate other normal tissues, for example, trophoblasts, macrophages, polymorphonuclear leucocytes. These invasive cell types are under the control of the body and although they may be actively destroying host tissues at times, their service to the organism is strictly regulated and made beneficial ultimately while malignant neoplasms are destructive ultimately. The capacity to infiltrate may be associated with behaviouristic changes in cells of tumours, shown in vitro (loss of contact inhibition)¹, changes in the surface properties² and possibly with enzymatic activity³. However, it is desirable to be able to study invasiveness of neoplastic tissue in vivo.