Figure 1.

A pictorial representation of the dynamics of ACF during azoxymethane-induced rat colon carcinogenesis. A: Colon with normal crypts prior to AOM injection; B: Colon bearing early ACF at approximately 8-wk post AOM injections; C: Colon bearing early and advanced ACF at approximately 12-wk post AOM injections; D: Colon bearing early and advanced ACF and tumors at approximately 24-wk post AOM injections. As the population of ACF (inclusive of all sub-types) increase with time after AOM injections, a relative decline in the specificity as a biological marker is observed.