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Biological characterization of central and peripheral primary non small cell lung cancers (NSCLC)
N M Malara1, A Sgambato, P Granone
1Institute of General Pathology and Cancer Research Center Giovanni XXIII, Catholic University-School of Medicine, Rome, Italy.
Background:
Non Small Cell Lung Carcinomas (NSCLC) comprise 90% of all lung carcinomas. Studies have demonstrated a preferential central (bronchus-derived) localization for squamous cells, whereas adenocarcinomas are frequently peripheral (bronchiolo-alveolus derived). It has been suggested that exposure to carcinogenic insults including cigarette smoke, may induce different types of tumors in different locations.
Materials And Methods:
Forty one NSCLC patients staged according to WHO and TNM were considered for localization and biological parameters (p53 expression, cell ploidy and S-phase).
Results:
p53 overexpression was found more frequently in central than in peripheral tumors (69% vs 39%) (p = 0.074). Central tumors were more aneuploid (69%) than peripheral ones (46%) (p = 0.03) No difference in smoking habit was observed in the two groups.
Conclusions:
Our results suggest that there is no apparent biological difference between these two groups of NSCLCs, and that the smoking does not play a role in either histotype determination or biological behavior.