Tuberc Respir Dis.  2004 Oct;57(4):345-350.

Immunohistochemical Detection of Lymph Nodes Micrometastases in Patients of Pathologic Stage I Non-small-cell Lung Cancer

• Ryu JS
• Han HS
• Kim MJ
• Kwak SM
• Cho JH
• Yoon YH
• Lee HL
• Chu YC
• Kim KH

Abstract

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the frequency and clinical significance of lymph node micrometastasis in patients of non-small-cell lung cancer pathologically staged to be T1-2,N0. METHOD: From consecutive 29 patients of non-small-cell lung cancer who received curative operation and routine systemic nodal dissection, we immunohistochemically examined 806 lymph nodes from mediastinal, hilar and peribronchial lesion. All slides were stained with hematoxylin and eosin staining for one section and with cytokeratin AE1/AE3 antibody for another consecutive section of same lymph node to find out micrometastasis.
RESULTS
In 806 lymph nodes examined, no tumor cell was seen on hematoxylin and eosin staining and micrometastic foci were shown to be on 0.37%(3) of 806 lymph nodes, in which were upper paratracheal, interlobar and peribronchial lymph node. These three positive stains constitute 10.3%(3) of the 29 patients with non-small-cell lung cancer. Nine patients died from disease progression(4), postoperative complication(3) and concomitant diseases(2). The four patients with disease progression did not show evidence of micrometastasis on their lymph node examination.
CONCLUSION
The frequency of lymph node micrometastasis was in 0.37% of 806 lymph nodes examined. The study results might suggested that routine analysis of micrometastasis on the lymph node didn't give any clinical implication on patients with non-small-cell lung cancer.

Keyword

Lung cancer; Lymphatic metastasis; Micrometastasis

MeSH Terms

Coloring Agents
Disease Progression
Eosine Yellowish-(YS)
Hematoxylin
Humans
Keratins
Lung Neoplasms*
Lung*
Lymph Nodes*
Lymphatic Metastasis
Neoplasm Micrometastasis*
Coloring Agents
Eosine Yellowish-(YS)
Hematoxylin
Keratins