The presence of large amounts of phospholipid in tumors of various kinds has been shown by Bullock and Cramer (1914), Lewis (1927), Jowett (1931), Yasuda and Bloor (1932), Bierich, Detzel, and Lang (1931), and Bierich and Lang (1933).Moreover the work of Jowett (1931), Bierich, Detzel, and Lang (1931), and Yasuda and Bloor (1932) proves that malignant tumors contain larger amounts of both phospholipid and cholesterol than benign tumors.The significance of these results has been discussed at length by various workers.Beard (1935) states that "it seems reasonable to believe that the cancer cell may utilize fat as a source of energy for its rapid growth."Lewis (1927) discusses the importance of the phospholipid and cholesterol content of cancer cells from a physicochemical standpoint.Rondoni (1930) and Tesauro (1932) maintain that tumor growth is promoted by cholesterol and retarded by phospholipids.On the other hand, Lemay (1931), Jowett (1931), and Bierich, Detzel, and Lang (1931) attribute tumor growth promotion to phospholipids and its retardation to cholesterol.It is difficult to arrive at any conclusion concerning the importance of the phospholipids in cancer cells as long as their function in normal cells remains obscure.There are three theories regarding the function of phospholipids in normal cells; namely, those of fat metabolism, of oxygen transport, and of cellular structure (Sinclair, 1934; Artom, 1935).Recently Sinclair (1935, b) has shown that at least two classes of phospholipid may exist:
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Frances L. Haven (1937) studied this question.
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