Effect of Golchicine on Human Tumors

The action of colchicine upon division of normal and malignant cells has been studied by several investigators. Dustin 1 described a remarkable increase in the number of mitoses in malignant growths in animals following the injection of colchicine. Ludford 2 found that colchicine applied to cultures of normal and malignant cells of animals brought about an arrest of mitosis for several hours, and that prolonged application destroyed the cells held up in division while the resting cells still survived, and that a single injection in animals produced an arrest of mitosis for several hours. The mitoses were arrested in the metaphase, which Ludford believes is due to the failure of the mitotic spindle to form and function in the normal manner. He also found that the largest accumulation of arrested mitoses occurred in tissue in which cell division is normally of frequent occurrence. This phenomenon has been utilized by others 3 , 4 as an index of the rate of cell growth. It, therefore, seemed that the method might prove of value in studying the growth characteristics of human tumors.

The colchicine effect on tumors was studied in a group of 21 patients who received the drug either subcutaneously or intramuscularly. Fifteen of the 21 patients had control biopsies before receiving the colchicine and of this group 11 showed definite arrest of mitosis in the metaphase. A biopsy was performed, when possible, to establish the diagnosis, and to serve as a control. Colchicine was then administered, and in most instances a second biopsy was performed or the entire tumor removed 9 ½ hours later. In certain inaccessible tumors it was impossible to perform a biopsy before the removal of the tumor. However, the colchicine effect could be observed and compared with similar tumors.