Effects of Oxygen Breathing on Tumor Oxygen Measured Polarographically

¹ From the Roswell Park Memorial Institute and the Department of Physiology, RPMI Division, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Buffalo, Buffalo, New York

By in vivo polarographic measurements (open type platinum cathode) changes in response to oxygen breathing were studied in a variety of malignant and benign human cutaneous tumors. In the normal skin adjacent to the tumors, polarographic currents (P.C.) rose from two to five times over the initial level. In carcinomas and sarcomas, there was no or only a slight response. In contrast, P.C. of malignant melanomas, malignant lymphomas and benign tumors rose considerably. The significance of P.C. measurements in relation to the oxygen tension of tissue is discussed. It is concluded that the abnormal vascularization of carcinoma and sarcoma causes the absence of an increase in tissue oxygen tension in response to oxygen breathing.