Comparison of cryotherapy and surgery for treatment of spontaneous mouse tumour

Spontaneous mammary adenocarcinoma was implanted subcutaneously into the flank or leg of inbred C3H/HeJ mice. Excision or cryotherapy of flank tumours was followed by cure in 47 and 52% respectively. Amputation or cryotherapy of tumours of the hind leg resulted in a cure in 70% for each method. Rechallenge of surviving mice resulted in initial delay of growth in mice treated by cryotherapy, but final host acceptance and survival were the same for each method of treatment. The tumour was grown in tissue culture; significant antibody levels after cryotherapy could not be detected by a mixed antiglobulin technique. It is concluded that cryotherapy can destroy the tumour, but this method offers little immunologic advance for weakly antigenic tumours. Careful monitoring of temperature is essential for successful cryotherapy. In the same series of experiments barbiturate anesthesia and tumour exploration did not alter tumour growth or mortality.