Tetracycline fluorescence and cytological procedures compared for the detection of malignancy.

In recent years many publications have appeared on the use of tetracycline fluorescence for detecting malignancy, especially of the stomach (Klinger and Katz, 1961 ; Sandlow, Allen, and Necheles, 1963 ;Berk and Kantor, 1962; Berk and Kantor, 1963; Sherman, Chryssanthou, Sukoff, Mininberg, Beckman, and Weingarten, 1963; Vassar, Saunders, and Culling, 1960; Ackerman and McFee, 1963; Berk, 1963; Sandlow and Necheles, 1964a). While most of these reports have been favourable, some have been discouraging (Vassar et al., 1960; Ackerman and McFee, 1963; Rugtveit and Hope, 1964). Recently a report has appeared (Cummins, Compertz, and Kier, 1964) comparing the results of tetracycline fluorescence and gastric cytology which indicated that while tetracycline fluorescence was not of much value, cytology was not of much value either. When combined, the results were more encouraging, but the authors did not dwell on this point. In reviewing the tetracycline fluorescence test for malignancy performed in our own laboratory, we have had encouraging results with 90% accuracy in stomach washings and over 800% accuracy in duodenal drainage. Comparison of our results with those obtained by cytology on the same patients indicates clearly that in our laboratory and with our techniques, the tetracycline fluorescence test is more accurate than cytology.