Trapping of Calibrated Microspheres in Experimental Rat Lymph Node Metastases

Abstract

metastases
was studied histologically to evaluate some aspects of intralymphatic cancer treatment.
Walker carcinosarcoma cells were injected into afferent lymphatic channels of rat lymph nodes.
Calibrated, nonradioactive microspheres were also injected, either together with the tumor cells or
after 3-day or 7-day intervals. Twenty-four lymph nodes were available for study. In 18 of the
24 positive lymph nodes, microspheres were intermingled with tumor cells or micrometastases.
However, in every instance, most of the microspheres were found in the uninvolved portions of the
lymph nodes, both near the tumor-cell infiltrates and micrometastases and at a distance from them.
Even when microspheres were in contact with tumor cells, the number of microspheres relative to
the tumor cells was very small. Lymph node metastases probably cause diversion of the lymph
flow and thus prevent optimal contact of tumor cells and microspheres.