INTRODUCTION 1. THE MALIGNANT CELL 7 2. MALIGNANT DISEASES 9 3. PREREQUISITES FOR MONONUCLEAR ONCOGENESIS 14 CHAPTER I. FORMATION OF THE “PRE-TUMOUR” BED 1. PRE-TUMOUR DISEASES OF THE ORGANISM 20 2. PRE-TUMOUR ALTERATIONS OF LOCAL TISSUES 22 2.1 Characteristics of Tissues 22 2.2 Inflammation 25 3. FORMATION OF ISOLATED MICRO CAVITIES 29 3.1 Prototype 29 3.2 Conditions 31 3.3 Mechanism 31 3.4 Structure 32 3.5 Shape and Location 33 3.6 Chemical Composition of the Fluid 34 CHAPTER II. INITIATION OF THE BONE MARROW MONONUCLEAR CELL 1. HAEMATOPOIESIS 36 1.1 Embryonic Haematopoiesis 36 1.2 Post Embryonic Haematopoiesis 37 1.3 Microenvironment 40 1.4 Regulation 40 2. MONONUCLEAR FRACTION IN THE BLOOD SYSTEM 41 2.1 Monocytopoiesis 41 2.2 Stimulation 45 3. THE MONONUCLEAR CELL – THE PRECURSOR OF A MALIGNANT CELL 46 4. GENOTYPIC ALTERATIONS OF A BONE MARROW MONONUCLEAR CELL 49 CHAPTER III. “GERMINATION” OF A MALIGNANT CELL 1. MIGRATION OF A TISSUE MONONUCLEAR CELL 54 2. TRANSFORMATION OF A MONONUCLEAR CELL INTO A MALIGNANT CELL 56 2.1 Structural Alterations of the Cell Membrane 56 2.2 “Chemical Evolution” in Cytoplasm 59 2.3 The Mechanism of Transformation 61 3. INFLUENCE OF THE MICROENVIRONMENT ON THE “GERMINATION” OF A MALIGNANT CELL 65 4. A MALIGNANT CELL 68 4.1 Differentiation and Maturation 69 4.2 General Description 71 4.3 Features 72 CHAPTER IV. GROWTH OF THE MALIGNANT FOCUS 1. THE MALIGNANT “GERM” 76 2. THE PRIMARY FOCUS 78 2.1 Features 78 2.2 Prototype 85 3. GROWTH FORMS 87 3.1 Expansive Growth 88 3.2 Appositional Growth 89 3.3 Invasive Growth 91 4. FEATURES OF GROWTH 94 4.1 Autonomy 94 4.2 “Carcinoma in Situ” (CIS) 94 CHAPTER V. THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MALIGNANT PROCESS 1. THE MALIGNANT PROCESS IS A SELF-CONTAINED SYSTEM 100 1.1 A Prototype of the Relationships 100 1.2 Self-Organisation and Self-Regulation 101 2. FEATURES OF THE MALIGNANT PROCESS 103 2.1 Metastasis 103 2.2 Death of Cells and Non-Cellular Structures 108 2.3 The Redistribution of Water 112 CONCLUSION MONONUCLEAR ONCOGENESIS 117 1. Programme 117 2. Phases 119 3. Prototypes 121 4. Basis 121 5. Mechanism 123 6. Features 124 7. Result 125 8. Key Provisions 126 9. Prospects for Diagnosis and Treatment 127 BIBLIOGRAPHY 128