A Relation Between Metastases of Cancer and Secretion of Blood Group Substances

Abstract

A blood group secretion study has been made of 919 cancer patients in two hospitals and a group 944 control individuals who had no evidence of cancer. Particular attention was focused upon those cancer patients who had distant metastases (267) and those who had survived more than six years after recognition of cancer (64). Verification of metastases was almost entirely by autopsy, biopsy or distinct X-ray evidence. [image] The distinct deviation of both groups of cancer patients from the controls is statistically significant. This suggests that metastases of cancer may partially depend upon tissue composition of polysaccharides and that non-secretion of blood group mucoids in some way protects against cancer dissemination. Individual sites of cancer vary in secretion frequency.