[Proliferation rate of small cell lung carcinoma. A cytomorphometric parameter with prognostic significance].
OBJECTIVE
Evaluation of prognosis-associated parameters in patients with small cell lung carcinoma.


METHODS
Biopsies of 46 patients suffering from a non-treated small cell lung carcinoma were stained with Feulgen and immunohistochemically with Ki-67 antibody. The integrated optical density (IOD) and proliferation rate was measured by syntactic structure analysis and correlated with survival.


RESULTS
About 85% of patients had a smoking history (46 pack years on average). The median survival time was 13.5 months, the proliferation rate (Ki-67 positive tumor cell nuclei) 68.2% and S-phase percentage 9.2%. Ot average, 25 proliferating tumor cell nuclei formed clusters (mean diameter 95 microns). The prognosis was associated with the proliferation rate (p < 0.04), tumor stage (stage I versus lib, p < 0.05), at threshold limits with S-phase rate (p < 0.07) and serum levels of LDH and NSE (p < 0.06 and p < 0.07 respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
Immune histochemical determination of the Ki-67 protein is a useful method to estimate the prognosis of patients with small cell lung carcinoma.
Kayser
G
G
Abteilung Pathologie, Thoraxklinik, Amalienstrasse 5, 69126 Heidelberg. klkayser@lung.de
Gunzenhäuser
I
I
Becker
H D
HD
Herth
F
F
Kayser
K
K
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D001706:Biopsy; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D053539:Keratin-19; D007633:Keratins; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000032:analysis; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012907:Smoking; D015996:Survival Rate; D013997:Time Factors
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen; D053539:Keratin-19; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; C102012:antigen CYFRA21.1; D007633:Keratins; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase