[The testing for carcinogenicity of a polyethylene terephthalate vascular prosthesis]

A long-term for possible carcinogenicity was conducted by subcutaneous implantation of 1 cm 2 pieces of polyethylenetherophthalate vascular grafts (PET-VG) to 150 BDF1 mice and 120 Syrian golden hamsters of either sex. A false operation was carried out in the same number of animals of control groups. Implantation was performed in nine-week-old animals. The observation period was 73 weeks for mice and 82 weeks for hamsters. A total of 161 tumors (81 in the experimental group) with 15 localizations were observed in mice and 43 tumors (20 in the experimental group) with 13 localizations--in hamsters. No pathological or statistical evidence of induction of tumors by PET-VG was found. It is concluded that under the conditions of this study PET-VG is not carcinogenic for BDF1 mice and Syrian golden hamsters of either sex.