title: Highly aggressive behavior and poor prognosis of small-cell carcinoma in the alimentary tract: flow-cytometric analysis and immunohistochemical staining for the p53 protein and proliferating cell nuclear antigen.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine the clinical course, and effects of the histopathologic characteristics of specific tumors, including DNA contents and immunohistochemical aspects, in patients with small-cell carcinoma of the alimentary tract. Medical records of 14 patients who presented with small-cell carcinoma of the alimentary tract were retrospectively reviewed. Primary tumors were studied by immunohistochemical and flow cytometric analyses. Of these 14 small-cell carcinomas, 4 were esophageal, 8 gastric, and 2 colonic tumors. DNA aneuploidy was observed in 8 tumors. Staining for the p53 product was positive in 57.1% of all the tumors. The average proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) labeling rate (LR) was 72.4 +/- 11.6%. The average PCNA LR was significantly higher for the p53-positive group (p < 0.05). The estimated median survival was 253 days for all patients. Noncurative resection was associated with a significantly less favorable prognosis (p < 0.01). Distant metastases were observed in 13 of 14 patients. A higher PCNA LR of small-cell carcinoma may be an unfavorable characteristic of biological behavior. The patients with disseminated disease should undergo a symptomatically palliative operation combined with chemotherapy.
authors: Department of Surgery, Toyama Prefectural Central Hospital, Toyama, Japan. hkimura@sun1.tch.pref.toyama.jp
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Kimura
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Konishi
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Maeda
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Yabushita
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Tsuji
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Miwa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D002430:Cecal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / Q000032:analysis*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D015996:Survival Rate; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53