Computerized histographic oxygen tension measurements of murine tumors.

As further work on tumor oxygenation results in the development of agents capable of modulating hypoxic cell radiosensitivity, and chemotherapeutic agents capable of targeting hypoxic cells, knowledge of relative tumor oxygenation takes on greater importance. The pO2 Histograph was used to characterize the oxygen tension of a murine sarcoma (RIF1) and a murine carcinoma (SCCVII), each with different hypoxic fractions. These tumors were studied sequentially to assess the suitability of the Histograph both as a research tool and, ultimately, as a clinical monitor of tumor hypoxia.