516 THE CHEMISTRY OF TUMORS 



as those cited by Halpern above, to 100 per cent, correct reactions de- 

 scribed by others. '''' Coca'^^ obtained entirely unsatisfactory results 

 with both the von Dungern complement fixation test and the Freund- 

 Kaminer reaction. 



Many observations have been made on the antitryptic activity of 

 the blood in cancer (see Chap, iii) which has usually shown an increase 

 (in all but about 10 per cent, of the cases) ; but many other conditions, 

 especially cachexia, may cause positive reactions. Cancer serum is 

 said to have a lessened power to activate pancreatic lipase'^ when 

 the disease is progressive, but on improvement or recovery this effect 

 is increased. 



B. CHEMISTRY OF CERTAIN SPECIFIC TUMORS 



In the literature are to be found a few studies of chemical features 

 of some forms of tumors, which may be briefly discussed to advantage. 



(1) Benign Tumors 



(a) Fibromas and Myomas. — The few specimens studied show 

 but a small amount of nucleoprotein, as might be expected from the 

 small amount of their nuclear material. Because of the tendency of 

 fibromas to undergo retrogressive changes, the amount of calcium is 

 likely to be large. No studies as to the special features of their col- 

 lagen, as compared with normal connective-tissue collagen, seem to 

 have been made. Lubarsch" found no glycogen (microscopically) 

 in any of 66 fibromas he examined. Wells and Long^^* found that in 

 uterine fibro-myomas but one per cent, of the total nitrogen is purine 

 nitrogen, distributed as guanine, 44 per cent.; adenine, 31 per cent.; 

 hypoxanthine, 25 per cent. The relatively large proportion of pre- 

 formed hypoxanthine corresponds with the abundance of this purine 

 free in normal unstriated muscle. Fibromyomas are able to deami- 

 dize their guanine and adenine to xanthine and hypoxanthine, and con- 

 tain guanase but not adenase. Extracts from uterine fibromyomas 

 show practically the same composition as extracts of normal uterus.''* 



A uterine fibroid analyzed by Beebe^*^ contained 14.56 per cent, of 

 nitrogen, 0.981 per cent, of sulphur, 0.139 per cent, of phosphorus, 

 0.013 per cent, of iron, 0.12 per cent, of calcium oxide, 0.44 per cent, 

 of potassium, and 1.115 per cent, of sodium. The proportions of ni- 

 trogen and sulphur are high as comi)ared with most tumors; the 

 phosphorus, iron, and potassium are low, corresponding to the small 

 amount of nucleoprotein and the slow rate of growth. If degeneration 



'" See de Crinis and Mahncrt, Ferine ntfrsch., 1918 (2), 103. 



^1 Jour. Cancer Research, 1917 (2), 61. 



" Shaw-Mackenzie, Lancet, Nov. 8, 1919. 



" Virchow's Arch., 1906 (183), 188. 



7* Zeit. Krebsforsch., 1913 (12), 59S. 



T"* Winiwarter, Arch. f. Gyniik., 1913 (100), 530. 



" Amer. Jour. Physiol., 1904 (12), 167. 



