Primary small cell carcinoma of the esophagus: flow cytometric analysis and immunohistochemical staining for the p53 protein and proliferating cell nuclear antigen.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to determine the clinical course and effects of histopathologic characteristics of specific tumors including DNA contents and immunohistochemical aspects in patients with small cell carcinoma of the esophagus.


METHODS
Medical records of 4 patients who presented with small cell carcinoma of the esophagus were retrospectively reviewed.


RESULTS
DNA aneuploidy was observed in 2 cases. Staining for the p53 product was positive in all cases. The average proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) labeling rate (LR) was 77.6% (64.0-90.8%). The estimated median survival was 42 days for all patients. Distant metastases were observed in 2 of the 4 patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Higher PCNA LR of small cell carcinoma may be an unfavorable characteristic of biological behavior. Patients with disseminated disease should have symptomatically palliative operation combined with chemotherapy.
Department of Surgery, Toyama Prefectural Central Hospital, Nishinagae, Japan. hkimura@sun1.tch.pref.toyama.jp
H
H
Kimura
K
K
Konishi
T
T
Inoue
M
M
Earashi
K
K
Maeda
K
K
Yabushita
Y
Y
Kuroda
M
M
Tsuji
A
A
Miwa
D000368:Aged; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / Q000032:analysis*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000032:analysis*
D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53