Abstract
IN 1915 a new chapter was opened up in the cancer mystery by the discovery of Yamagiwa and Ichikawa that cancer can be successfully induced in rabbits by the prolonged application of gas works' tar. This result was soon confirmed, and during the last ten years a large number of tumours have been produced in mice, rabbits, and even in fowls. In addition to cancer in the strict sense, other malignant tumours have developed as a result of the application of tar products. There is no longer any doubt that the induced tumours are true blastomata. They possess every attribute which has been associated with the idea of malignancy. Tar is, of course, not the only chemical irritant which produces tumours, but it is the one that most readily does so under experimental conditions. It is also known that different tars vary greatly in their cancerogenic properties. The actual agent in the tar has been sought, and although not yet completely identified, a large body of knowledge has already grown up on the subject. Apparently the acids and bases of tar can be removed while the cancerogenic agent remains.
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Current Topics and Events. Nature 116, 106–110 (1925). https://doi.org/10.1038/116106b0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/116106b0