Department of Pathology;
Xinjiang Medical College;
Urumqi 830054;
UCLA Medical Centre;
Los Angeles;
CA 90024;
USA;
Department of Pathology;
Xinjiang Medical College;
Urumqi 830054n the study;
739 regional lymph nodes from 94 patients with stage I non- small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) were studied by immunohistochemical techniques. These lymph nodes contained no metastatic tumor as assessed by conventional histopatholgy were recut. A series of consecutive sections from the original blocks were immunostained with poly-and monoclonal antibodies to cytokeratins;
carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA);
and human milk fat globulin membrane antigen (HMFG-2). Single tumor cells or small clusters of tumor cells;
not visible on routine examination;
were readily detected. The actual number of lymph nodes that contained occult tumor cells was 123 (16.6%) from 53 patients (56.4%). The majority of 102 immunostalned positive nodes were distributed in the hllar (29% ) and peribronchlal (25%) regions. Our data indicate that (1) a series of consecutive sections and immunohistochemistry may greatly Increase the diagnostic yield of occult micrometastases in lymph nodes;
(2) the high incidence of occult metastases in NSCLC may be of Importance in relation to their rapid dissemination and high death rates;
(3) the high frequencyof occult nodal metastases in NSCLC raises questions in regard to our presently used criteria for staging;
prognosis and treatment of ostensibly stage I disease;
and (4) perhaps dissections of hllar and peribronchlal nodes will have an Importantly clinical significance in prevention of wide dissemination of tumor cells.;
Non-small; cell; lung; cancer; Occult; micrometastases; Immunohistochemistry.;
