Effects of chemotherapy on ultrastructure of oesophageal adenocarcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
To compare and contrast the ultrastructural appearance of resected oesophageal adenocarcinomas treated with preoperative chemotherapy with that of non-treated resected controls; and to determine the usefulness of this method in the assessment of the effectiveness of the chemotherapeutic regimen.


METHODS
Ten resected oesophageal adenocarcinomas treated with preoperative chemotherapy--mitomycin-C, ifosfamide, and cisplatin (MIC)--were examined by transmission electron microscopy and their appearance compared with that of 13 concurrent untreated resected oesophageal adenocarcinomas.


RESULTS
The treated adenocarcinomas showed cytotoxic damage although complete tumour eradication was not achieved. In all 10 treated cases a variable proportion of the neoplastic cells showed unusual degenerative and necrotic changes not seen in untreated cases. In the most affected carcinomas the stroma contained increased numbers of inflammatory cells.


CONCLUSIONS
This ultrastructural method is useful for the assessment of the in vivo effect of MIC.
Darnton
S J
SJ
Oesophageal Research Laboratory, East Birmingham Hospital.
Antonakopoulos
G N
GN
Newman
J
J
Matthews
H R
HR
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002466:Cell Nucleolus / Q000187:drug effects; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003594:Cytoplasmic Granules / Q000187:drug effects; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007069:Ifosfamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008247:Lysosomes / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects; D016685:Mitomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014617:Vacuoles / Q000187:drug effects
D016685:Mitomycin; D002945:Cisplatin; D007069:Ifosfamide