Effectiveness of leukocyte filters in reducing tumor cell contamination after intraoperative blood salvage in lung cancer patients.
OBJECTIVE
In an effort to reduce allogeneic blood transfusions in patients undergoing elective surgery for lung cancer, we investigated the effectiveness of a method of processing shed blood with an automated device for intra operative blood salvage (IOBS) and filtration with a 3rd-generation polyester filter to remove tumor cells.


METHODS
Sixteen patients were operated on for different types of lung cancer. We searched for malignant cells in pre- and postprocessed shed blood employing density gradient centrifugation, staining of cytospins with hematoxylin-eosin, and antibodies to human cytokeratins.


RESULTS
In 9 out of 16 cases (56%), neoplastic cells were detected in prefiltration samples, but none were found in postfiltration cytospins.


CONCLUSIONS
IOBS combined with appropriate filtration could be a very useful and safe tool in reducing allogeneic blood transfusion in cancer patients.
Perseghin
P
P
Servizio Trasfusionale, Azienda Ospedaliera Ospedale E. Morelli, Sondalo, Italia.
Viganò
M
M
Rocco
G
G
Della Pona
C
C
Buscemi
A
A
Rizzi
A
A
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001803:Blood Transfusion / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001804:Blood Transfusion, Autologous / Q000295:instrumentation*; D002469:Cell Separation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D002499:Centrifugation, Density Gradient; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D005374:Filtration / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006801:Humans; D007430:Intraoperative Care / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D007962:Leukocytes; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating; D011091:Polyesters
D011091:Polyesters