The role of animal models in radiation lung carcinogenesis

A complete understanding of cancer in general and radiation carcinogenesis in particular rests on a multidisciplinary research effort. We will be misled if we undervalue certain avenues of investigation. The fact that we are discussing the role of animal models and whether they are replaceable by in vitro studies is a tribute to three lobbies - the molecular biologists, the animal rights movements and our financial masters. Nobody disputes the massive advances that have been made in oncology by molecular studies of oncogenes, antioncogenes and growth factors, but to paraphrase Rudyard Kipling "what do they know of cancer who only oncogenes know". Basic characteristics of tumours such that they are essentially caricatures of normal cellular differentiation with invasiveness and metastatic spread as secondary characteristics would not have emerged from purely in vitro studies of isolated cells, still less from purely molecular studies.