598 



ADVENTURES IX RADIOISOTOPE RESEARCH 



per cent. A similar result was an increased plasma volume in cancerous 

 animals first observedby Furth andSoBEL^*^ and later by Ehrenstein, 

 whose studies we shall discuss later. An increased plasma volume is 

 especially evident with tumours producing oestrogens.^^) 



An increased plasma volume w'as also determined in numerous patients 

 suffering from cancer. Berlin and co-workers(^^ studied 66 cases and found 

 that more than one-quarter of them had a plasma volume greater than 





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Fig. 1. Haemoglobin concentration and total haemoglobin content 

 in the blood of the mouse. Normal — normal. Krebs — cancerous. 



46 ml per kgm. They considered plasma volumes lying between 32 and 

 46 ml per kgm body weight to be normal. Kelly and his collaborators^'^ 

 observed a plasma volume of 63 ml per kgm in thirty-three patients with 

 advanced cancer. The total water volume of these patients was normal. 



A decrease in concentration of plasma proteins usually goes hand in 

 hand with an increase in plasma volume. Fig. 2 shows the concentration 

 of plasma protein in normal and cancerous mice as determined by Lock- 

 ner in our laboratory. Bernfeld and Homburger^^^ found a 24.5 per 

 cent decrease in albumen concentration in the plasma of mice with 

 tumours. The increase in plasma volume is essentially due to entry of 

 water and salts into the vascular volume. 



A reduced haemoglobin concentration in the blood of cancerpatients 

 can, however, often be observed, which is not attributable only to an 

 increase in the plasma volume. Ross and his co-workers^^°\ for instance, 



