title: Metastases following biopsy of oral carcinoma in hamsters and the role of local prebiopsy bleomycin.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This animal study researches the effect of biopsy on metastasis of oral carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty hamsters developed oral tumors after treatment with 9,10-dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene and were then divided into six groups. Animals of groups 1 and 2 did not receive any treatment, while groups 3-6 were biopsied at the end of the 14th week and groups 5 and 6 also received a prebiopsy intratumoral injection of bleomycin. Animals of groups 1, 3, 5 and 2, 4, 6 were sacrificed at the 17th and 19th week respectively. Specimens of tumors, ipsilateral cervical lymph nodes, lungs and livers were obtained from all animals and histologically examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All animals developed oral squamous cell carcinomas. In group 4, four out of ten animals showed metastases to the cervical lymph nodes, and one out of four showed a distant metastasis to the lung.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Delay of treatment following biopsy can increase the risk of cervical lymph node metastases which can be reduced by an intratumoral administration of bleomycin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, General Hospital of Athens "KAT", Kifissia, Athens, Greece. rallisg@gmail.com
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rallis
authors.forename: Constantinos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mourouzis
authors.forename: Veronica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Papakosta
authors.forename: Ismini
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Donta
authors.forename: Despina
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Perrea
authors.forename: Efstratios
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Patsouris
authors.forename: Eleftherios
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vairaktaris