Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Comments on hematogenous metastatic patterns in humans as revealed by autopsy

  • Published:
Clinical & Experimental Metastasis Aims and scope Submit manuscript

An attempt is made to clarify some general concepts of hematogenous metastatic patterns in humans, by the use of autopsy data. The significance and problems associated with ‘false negative’ reports are assessed. By the use of metastatic efficiency indices in which the incidence of specific target organ involvement is related to organ blood-flow, ‘seed-and-soil’ effects are discriminated from the effects of differential cancer cell delivery. An analysis of autopsy data from cases with a history of colorectal carcinoma is used to illustrate the importance of metastasis from metastases in the genesis of hematogenous metastatic patterns in humans.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Ewing J. Metastasis. In:Neoplastic Diseases: a treatise on tumours, 3rd edn, Chapter 4. Philadelphia: Saunders, 1928.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Schmelzer PL and Briggs GL, eds, 1984, College of American Pathologists Foundation Conference on the Autopsy.Archives of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine,108, 437–523.

  3. Paget S, 1989, The distribution of secondary growths in cancer of the breast.Lancet,i, 571–573.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Weiss L.Principles of Metastasis p.232. Orlando, FL: Academic Press, 1985.

    Google Scholar 

  5. McCormack P. Surgical treatment of pulmonary metastases: memorial hospital experience. In: Weiss L and Gilbert HA, eds.Pulmonary Metastasis, pp. 260–270. Boston: GK Hall, 1978.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Weiss L and Harlos JP, 1986, The validity of negative necropsy reports for metastases in solid organs.Journal of Pathology,148, 203–206.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Weiss L.Principles of Metastasis, p. 217. Orlando, FL: Academic Press, 1985.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Weiss L.Principles of Metastasis, p. 162. Orlando, FL: Academic Press, 1985.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Weiss L, Grundmann E, Torhorst J, Hartveit F, Moberg I, Eder M, Fenoglio-Preiser CM, Napier J, Horne CHW, Lopez MJ, Shaw-Dunn RI, Sugar J, Davies JD, Day DW and Harlos JP, 1986, Haematogenous metastatic patterns in colonic carcinoma: an analysis of 1541 necropsies.Journal of Pathology,150, 195–203.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Weiss L.Principles of Metastasis, p. 261. Orlando, FL: Academic Press, 1985.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Weiss L, Harlos JP, Torhorst J, Gunthard B, Hartveit F, Syendsen E, Huang W-L, Grundmann E, Eder M, Zwicknagl M, Cochrane HR, Stock D, Wright C and Horne CHW, 1988, Metastatic patterns of renal carcinoma: an analysis of 687 necropsies.Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology,114, 605–612.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Abrams HL, Spiro R and Goldstein N, 1958, Metastases in carcinoma. Analysis of 1000 autopsied cases.Cancer,30, 74–85.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Elliott JA, Osterlind K, Hirsch FR and Hansen HH, 1987, Metastatic patterns in small-cell lung cancer: correlation of autopsy findings with clinical parameters in 537 patients.Journal of Clinical Oncology,5,246–254.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Jeffree GM, Price CHG and Sissons H, 1975, The metastatic patterns of osteosarcoma.British Journal of Cancer,32, 87–107.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Rose PG, Piver MS, Tsukada Y and Lau T, 1989, Metastatic patterns in histologic variants of ovarian cancer. An autopsy study.Cancer,64, 1508–1513.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Weiss L, Harlos JP, Hartveit F, Maartmann-Moe, Svendsen E, Christen S, Torhorst J, Horne CHW and Johnson SJ, 1992, Regional Cancer Treatment. (In press).

  17. 17. Saitoh H, Hida M, Shimbo T, Nakamura K, Yamagata J and Satoh T, 1984, Metastatic patterns of prostatic cancer. Correlation between sites and number of organs involved.Cancer,54, 3078–3084.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Weiss L, Ward PM, Harlos JP and Holmes JC, 1984, Target organ patterns or tumors in mice following the arterial dissemination of B16 melanoma cells.International Journal of Cancer,33, 825–830.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Weiss L, Haydock K, Pickren JW and Lane WW, 1980, Organ vascularity and metastatic frequency.American Journal of Pathology,101, 101–114.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Onuigbo WIB. Historical concepts of cancer metastasis with special reference to bone. In: Weiss L and Gilbert HA, eds.Bone Metastasis, pp. 1–10. Boston: GK Hall, 1981.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Willis RA. The Spread of Tumours in the Human Body, pp. 175–176. London: Butterworth, 1952.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Roberts SS. Spread by the vascular system. In: Cole WH, McDonald GO, Roberts SS and Southwick HW, eds.Dissemination of Cancer, pp. 204–205. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1961.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Bross IDJ, Viadana E and Pickren JW, 1975, Does generalized metastasis occur directly from the primary?Journal of Chronic Diseases,28, 149–159.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Viadana E, Bross IDJ and Pickren JW, 1978, The metastatic spread of cancers of the digestive system in man.Oncology,35, 114–126.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Weiss L, 1990, Metastatic inefficiency.Advances in Cancer Research,54, 159–211.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Orr FW, Buchanan MR and Weiss L. Microcirculation in Cancer Metastasis. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 1991.

    Google Scholar 

  27. Weiss L, Ward PM and Holmes JC, 1983, Liver-to-lung traffic of cancer cells.International Journal of Cancer,32, 79–83.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Ramming KP, Holmes EC, Skinner DG and Morton DL. Surgery for pulmonary metastases: the UCLA approach. In: Weiss L and Gilbert HA, eds.Pulmonary Metastasis, pp. 252–259. Boston: GK Hall, 1978.

    Google Scholar 

  29. Takita H, Edgerton F, Vincent RG and Gutierrez AC. Surgical management of lung metastases. In: Weiss L and Gilbert HA, eds.Pulmonary Metastasis, pp. 243–251. Boston: GK Hall, 1978.

    Google Scholar 

  30. Vincent RG, Choksi LB, Takita H and Gutierrez AC. Surgical resection of the solitary pulmonary metastasis. In: Weiss L and Gilbert HA, eds.Pulmonary Metastasis, pp. 232–242. Boston: GK Hall, 1978.

    Google Scholar 

  31. Wilkens EW. The status of pulmonary resection of metastases: experience at Massachusetts General Hospital. In: Weiss L and Gilbert HA, eds.Pulmonary Metastasis, pp. 271–281. Boston: GK Hall, 1978.

    Google Scholar 

  32. Steel GG.Growth Kinetics of Tumours, pp. 48–49. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1977.

    Google Scholar 

  33. Weiss L and Mayhew E, 1985, An approach to the therapy of metastases from cancer of the upper rectum: a working hypothesis.Cancer Drug Delivery,2, 19–33.

    Google Scholar 

  34. Aigner KR, Walther H and Link KH. Isolated liver perfusion with MMC/5-FU-Surgical technique, pharmacokinetics, clinical results. In: Aigner KR, Patt YZ, Link KH and Kreidler J, eds.Regional Cancer Treatment, pp. 229–246. Basel: Karger, 1988.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Experimental Pathology, Roswell Park Memorial Institute, 14263, Buffalo, NY, USA

    Leonard Weiss

Authors
  1. Leonard Weiss
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Weiss, L. Comments on hematogenous metastatic patterns in humans as revealed by autopsy. Clin Exp Metast 10, 191–199 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00132751

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00132751

Keywords

Search

Navigation