Influence of partial excision of carcinogen treated hamster cheek pouch on subsequent tumour development.

Hamster cheek pouch was treated with carcinogen for 5 or 8 weeks. Part of the carcinogen treated area was excised and the lesion allowed to heal by secondary intention. At follow-up the biopsied pouches were compared with control pouches and potentiation of the development of carcinomas was seen. It is suggested that these results have relevance to the previously demonstrated tumour potentiating effect of cryosurgery in hamster cheek pouch, in that the important tumour potentiating influence may be regeneration involving dysplastic epithelium and not a function of cryosurgery per se.