Axillary lymph-node and breast carcinoma interrelations in organ culture

When Stage I and II cancers of the breast and their axillary lymph nodes were grown in the same tissue culture, a phenomenon of lymphocytic migration from the nodal explants to the tumor explants was observed. The lymphocytes infiltrated in and around the tumor nodules with cytotoxic effects; concomitantly, there was lymphocytic depletion in the nodal explants. The lymphocyte migration was particularly apparent when the axillary lymph nodes showed hyperplasia of the paracortical area and/or sinus histiocytosis. No correlation was found between the migration and the histologic type of disease or the degree of malignancy, but a strong correlation was observed between 1) the migration and the presence or absence of metastases in the explanted lymph nodes, and 2) the extent of the metastatic involvement in vivo. The lymphocyte migration was present only in the patient either uninvolved lymph nodes or only a small number (1-3) of metastatic nodes.