[Neuroendocrine markers in lung cancer]

80 cases of resected lung cancer were studied using five different neuroendocrine (NE) markers with the avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex method.

(1) The positive rates of carcinoid and small cell lung cancer (SCLC) expressing NE markers was 100% and 93.8% respectively, and the positive rate of non-SCLC (except carcinoid) was 24.1% (2) If NE granules were found by electron microscope, NE markers all gave positive reaction. (3) The positive sections on argyrophil stain all expressed NE markers. (4) Positive NE markers for tumors > 5 cm was 64.1%, but in non-SCLC, only 31.8% of tumors larger than 5 cm diameter had negative NE. The above results indicate that the use of NE markers in lung cancer is reliable, sensitive and practical. The relation between NE differentiation and biological behavior requires further study.