title: Tracheobronchial cytologic changes in malignant melanoma.
abstract: Histiocytes counted in smears made from the tracheobronchial washings of 208 patients with malignant melanomas were found to be 3.12 times more numerous than in a control group comparable in sex, age (decades), and smoking habit but without any type of prediagnosed malignant lesion. The discovery of this phenomenon may lead to the development of a new method for the evaluation of therapeutic methods in patients with melanotic lesions. It may open novel pathways for the investigation of cell-mediated immunity in patients with certain forms of malignant disease.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001980:Bronchi / Q000473:pathology*; D002452:Cell Count; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006644:Histiocytes / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D012907:Smoking; D014132:Trachea / Q000473:pathology*