ABSTRACT
Prostaglandins are tissue hormones comprising groups of polyunsaturated and hydroxylated long-chain fatty acids which exert different biological actions at very low concentrations. PGI2, a major product of arachidonic acid metabolism in isolated vascular tissue, dilates blood vessels and is a powerful inhibitor of platelet aggregation. The blood vessels, for instance, produce primarily prostacyclin, the kidneys prostaglandin E2, and the platelets a very unstable compound thromboxane A2. Tumor cell metastasis is influenced by a number of factors, e.g., growth, extent of vascularization affecting the passage of malignant cells, host/tumor-immunologic interactions. Numerous investigators have reported about the interactions between detached tumor cells and the hemostatic system of the host. The chapter examines five groups of subjects: healthy controls, patients with malignant tumors of the breast, patients with benign tumors of the breast, patients with malignant tumors of the ovary, and patients with malignant tumors of the gastrointestinal tract.
