Histogenetic Relationship Between Carcinoids and Mucin-secreting Carcinomas of Colon as Revealed by Heterotransplantation

Abstract

Heterotransplantation of a human colonic neoplasm with classical morphologic characteristics of a carcinoid was sucessful in the cheek pouches of unconditioned, adult golden hamsters after a short sojourn in cell-impermeable chambers in rats. Although no mucin-secreting cells were detected in the donor carcinoid, the cheek pouch transplants exclusively exhibited mucinsecreting tumour cells of signet-ring type consistent with adenocarcinoma. This transplantable tumour, designated GW-77, has retained this appearance as well as expansive growth characteristics in xenogeneic hosts for a period of 4 years. These findings represent strong biological evidence consonant with views, based upon morphological findings, advocating a histogenetic relationship between colonic carcinoid and adenocarcinoma. It is believed that colonic adenocarcinoma has a selective advantage over carcinoid for serial propagation in an alien environment, indicating the less differentiated nature of its cellular components. Since the donor carcinoid cells failed to exhibit argentaffin reactions, these conclusions may be limited only to the nonreactive forms of carcinoid. Images Figs. 1-2 Figs. 3-4

Mixed Adenocarcinoma-Carcinoid (Collision Tumor) of the Appendix

“…Despite the recognition of the common embryonic origin for both the collision and composite tumors [9] , composite tumors are considered to be derived from a single event in which the initial neoplastic clone undergoes divergent differentiation, while collision tumors are considered to be of biclonal derivation, resulting from 2 separate but adjacent neoplasms [9] . However, this classification is not universally accepted since the cell of origin is still not very clear [1] .…”

Epithelial stem cell repertoire in the gut: clues to the origin of cell lineages, proliferative units and cancer

“…Neoplastic proliferations rarely consist of one cell type; and we have seen that it is tempting to conclude that, since tumours are held to be monoclonal in origin, the contained cell lineages are therefore progeny of a single stem cell. On the other hand there have been several genuine experimental attempts to show that the repertoire of malignant cells derived from colorectal carcinomas have the ability to differentiate into the several cell lineages found in to normal colonic crypt ( Goldenberg & Fisher 1970; Kobori & Oota 1979), but perhaps more convincing was the report of Cox & Pierce (1982) that putatively single cells from a rat colonic adenocarcinoma injected subcutaneously into recipient mice occasionally gave rise to tumours which showed all colonic cell lineages. In the human, this matter was investigated by Kirkland (1988), working on the HRA19 cell line, derived from a moderately well‐differentiated colorectal carcinoma.…”

Mixed Adenocarcinoid Tumor Presenting as Acute Appendicitis

“…The histology of composite/collision tumors is not well understood despite the embryonic origin of composite tumors [8] is considered to be derived from a single event in which the initial neoplastic clone undergoes divergent differentiation, while collision tumors are considered to be of biclonal derivation, resulting from two separate but adjacent neoplasms [8]. However, this classification is not universally accepted since the cell of origin is still not very clear [2].…”