Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-12-07
HEATING OF CELLS
REDUCES TUMORS
Experiments on Mice May Aid
Cancer Control, but "Cure"
Is Not Claimed.

Heating of cells by high frequency
currents-approachin 100, 900, 900 cycles
a second-has caused the frequent dis
appearance of extremely vigorous ma
lignant tumors in mice closely related
to certain forms Of cancer in human
beings, 1t is revealed in the annual re-
port OF the scientific work of the United
States Public Health Service.
The work has been carried on bv
J. w. Schereschewsky, in charge of the
ofhce OF field Investigations of cancer
The high frequency current is applied
directly to the malignant growth and
measurement with delicate instru-
ment inserted in the tumor shows that
the internal heat, normally the same
as the SPONTANEOUS temperature Of the
animal. Is raised as much as 10 degrees.
The high frequency current is one of
the Few means possible for actually In
Producing heat into the cells and the
effect Is to raise the temperature to
point at which these cannot survive.
similar result was obtained by heat
ing the tumor directly with hot water,
but the effects were not so marked.
Effects on Mice Traced.
1t was found that about half Of the
mice SO cured" could not be reinocu-
lated with the malignant growth. but
the report points out that this may be
because the tumor itself in its growth
process builds up in some way a re-
sistance in the body which very seldom
becomes strong enough to stop the
original group of outlaw cells, but which
prevents the formation of a new colony.
Similar experiments were carried out
on a malignant growth of chickens. the
ROus fowl Sarcoma, in an effort to Sc
cure from their blood q serum, which
by itself would render other chickens
immune. A considerable degree Of pro-
lection from this serum against inocu-
. sa1 with the tumor virus IS been
This work with cancerous Rrowtbs
In animals Is looked upon as another
line OF approach to the extremely COM
plicated problem of cancer control in
human beings, but no claim is made
that it is directly applicable and no
new cure Is suggested.
Tests Of Reported Cures.
Rigidly controlled tests of the cancer
cures" which have aroused greatest
public interest in the past year have
yielded few encouraging results, the re-
port reveals. Among the most widely
heralded was the injection of an ex-
tract from the cortex of the adrenal
glands OF sheep, which was tried on
scores of patients some of whom were
in very advanced stages of inopereble
cancer. The more enthusiastic reports
were that the extract had almost
miraculous results.
While the exact nature of this
preparation Is unknown to DR.. Shere-
schewsky and his aides, they were un-
able to flnd anything in the adrenal
cortex, which can be stated definitely
70 malt the progress Of malignant
growths. Adrenal preparations alone
| were without noticeable effect on q
condition in mice very similar to human
| cancer.
When combined with a dye, isamin
| blue, some restraining effects of the
adrenal extract on cancer growth were
| found, but in only two instances did it
| completely disappear and this might
have been due to the natural resistance
of the animal. Equally disappointing
were infections of an extract prepared
from the thymus glands of calves,
which had been reported to have .
restraining effect.
German Idea Tried Out.
Hardly more promising we're the
| tests on laboratory tumors Of the
| oxygen treatment" for cancer intro
duced from Germany. Definite cures
had been reported from the exposure of
human patients to an atmosphere con-
tanning IS per cent oxygen and S per
| cent carbondioxide, with q proper acid
condition Of the blood maintained bv
medicines. Inhalation Of this gas mix
ture Of from three to four hours each
day had no effect on the experimental
mice. Occasionally o tumor disap-
peared, but no more frequently than
among the untreated animals.
Next the oxygen method was tried
together with injection of q per cent
| solution Of hydrochloric acid to produce
an acid condition in the blood. Four
out Of seven tumors disappeared-b,It
the mice died.
More promising results were obtained.
80 lar as the mouse Sarcomas were con-
cerned, from the application to the
growth Of high frequency currents
winch heated to the death point the
cells OF the outlaw growths. Many of
Inc mice cured In this way proved re-
slstant to reinoculation.
AT the same time an approach to the
cancer problem from the purely chenni-
cal standpoint has been started at the
National Institute of Health, it was an
nounced. There Is, it is stated "a com
plete lack Of information of the chenoi-
cal factors which very likely cause the
rapid multiplication Of malignant ceIIs
In the BODY" Several observations su0-
geSted that exposure of certain plant
ana animal cells to specific sulphur
compounds is accompanied by an in
crease In the rate of cell division.