The Malignant Cell

Abstract

In our search for cancer parasites and in our enthusiasm for staining and embedding methods many pathologists have neglected to study perfectly fresh, unfixed, unembedded and unstained cells of human tissue. The study of comparative living morphology has been sacrificed in our desire for some specific staining reactions by which biological behavior might be indicated. During the last twenty-two years my particular goal has been the discovery of some means of recognizing cancer in its earliest stages. I have felt that this was necessary before a correct understanding of the cause and prevention of cancer could be obtained. Frequent reports have been made suggesting the histogenetic origin and specific morphologic characteristics of malignant types of cells. Photographic as well as graphic methods of recording form, shape, size, and situation of all types of cells have been used with the results that it may be stated positively that all malignant cells arise from the regenerative cells of normal tissue. Thus in acini of the mammary gland there are definitely two rows of cells: the adult or secretory cells (adenocytes) of the inner row and the undifferentiated or partially differentiated reserve or reparative regenerative cells (adeno-blasts) of the outer row (Fig. 1, a). It is the hyperplasia and differentiation of adenoblasts which are responsible for replacement of adenocysts which are destroyed in mastitis. There are, in so far as form and shape are concerned, three definite pictures found in chronic mastitis: