Cnapter 8 



ENDOCRINE SECRETION AND TUMOR 

 FORMATION 



By George W. Woolley, Roscoe B. Jackson Memorial Laboratory. 



With no outside addition of hormones, 311. With unusual addition of hormones, 312. 

 Hormones and transplantable tumors, 314. Hormone production with tumors, 315. 

 Bibliography, 315. 



The secretions of those glands which hberate their substances into the 

 blood and lymph have a marked and important relation to tumor formation 

 in mice. This has been well demonstrated but only a few of the probably 

 many details of these relationships are known at the present time. For 

 mammary gland tumor production the presence of a certain type of hormone 

 is an indispensable factor. In addition to furthering the problems arising 

 from the primary differences due to sex itself, there are many possibilities 

 for extension of knowledge in this field. Strains of mice which develop 

 different but comparatively uniform percentages of mammary, as well as 

 other, tumors furnish excellent material for following up the indications of 

 at least quantitative differences in the hormonal control mechanisms and 

 of their relation to tumor incidence. The endocrine differences which 

 limit generalization not only between species but within a species such as 

 Mus musculus are no doubt important stepping stones along the path to a 

 more complete analysis of the interrelationships. The isolation and 

 chemical determination of many of the sex hormones, together with the 

 synthesis of related compounds, is rapidly leading to more extensive and 

 specific modification of hormones within experimental animals. All of 

 these are greatly aiding the progress of our knowledge. To make clear the 

 relation of these secretions and of related substances to tumor formation is 

 the first step. To be able to use this knowledge to aid in the control of 

 tumor formation is the eventual goal. 



Because of the incompleteness of the picture of the relation of internal 

 secretions to tumor formation at the present time an attempt is made only 

 to call attention to some of the studies now available rather than to try to 

 fit the picture together. The bibliography is not exhaustive but through its 



310 



