Diagnostic Value of Exfoliated Cells From Cancerous Tissues

I value greatly the honor of having been invited by this renowned institution to give an account of my recent investigations pertaining to the diagnosis of malignant neoplasms before such a select audience, including many who have devoted themselves to the study of the theoretical and clinical aspects of cancer. I am undertaking this task with a feeling of deep appreciation but not without some apprehension. I consider myself a novice in this vast and complex field of cancer research, but my intrusion has not been at all intentional. It was forced on me by unavoidable and uncontrollable circumstances which have deflected the course of my scientific endeavors. When the late Professor Stockard and I embarked on the study of the morphologic and cyclic variations of desquamated epithelial cells in the vagina of the guinea pig some thirty years ago1our aim was specific, though rather limited. We were