Morphologic and immunocytochemical studies of bronchioloalveolar carcinoma at Duke University Medical Center, 1968-1986.
Between 1968 and 1986, the tumor registries at Duke University Medical Center and Durham VA Medical Center accumulated a total of 193 patients with a diagnosis of bronchioloalveolar carcinoma (BAC). All available histologic sections of primary lung tumors and all available respiratory and pleural cytologic material were reviewed for 135 cases having an initial histologic diagnosis of BAC and no history of a primary nonpulmonary adenocarcinoma. Thirty-nine cases showed a pure BAC pattern in histologic sections; 76 showed a dominant BAC pattern with focal areas of fibrosis and acinar differentiation; 16 were carcinomas with a focal BAC pattern; and 4 were adenocarcinomas lacking a BAC pattern. Of the 115 cases with at least a dominant BAC pattern, 51 showed predominantly mucinous differentiation while 64 showed predominantly nonmucinous differentiation. Adequate cytologic material was available for review from 111 patients. For cases having at least a dominant BAC pattern, tumor cells were present in 77 of 172 adequate sputums (44.8%), 36 of 133 bronchoscopy specimens (27.1%), 15 of 18 needle aspirates (83.3%) and 14 of 15 pleural fluids (93.3%). Of all patients in this group, 60.2% had at least one specimen positive for malignancy. No cytologic features clearly distinguished adenocarcinomas having only focal bronchioloalveolar differentiation from those with a pure or dominant BAC pattern. A significant degree of overlap was observed in the cytologic features of mucinous and nonmucinous tumors. Histologic sections from 19 mucinous and 16 nonmucinous tumors were stained with monoclonal antibody B72.3: all showed some staining, with no significant difference in degree of staining between the two groups. This suggests that expression of the tumor-associated glycoprotein TAG-72 is independent of mucinous differentiation.
Elson
C E
CE
Department of Pathology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710.
Moore
S P
SP
Johnston
W W
WW
D002282:Adenocarcinoma, Bronchiolo-Alveolar / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins