Cytological research of exophytic tumors of the bronchi and the growth pattern of lung cancer

Abstract

Background. The study of the growth of lung cancer (LC) has an important clinical significance for morphological verification, the choice of the treatment method, and the determining of prognosis. Investigation of this question allows to clarify the histogenesis of LC. The aim of our study was to compare the results of cytological studies of the material obtained during flexible bronchoscopy (FBS) and scrapings from the operated tumors of the bronchi to clarify the nature of LC growth. Design. To study the growth of tumors in the bronchi in relation to the bronchial mucosa, the cytological examination of the material obtained by FBS and scrapings from the surface of the operated bronchial tumors of 31 patients has been performed. Results. In the preoperative period, in the material of FBS, tumor cells were found only in 1/3 of patients. To obtain the optimal material from exophytic tumors of the bronchus, scrapings were carried out from the entire surface surgical material of the same patients. Cytological preparations of the obtained scrapings confirmed the presence of cancer cells in more than 1/3 of patients. In the rest of the observations, scrapings from the tumor surface contained only cells of the cylindrical epithelium. Conclusions. The cytological investigations made it possible to state that in 2/3 scrapings from surfaces of exophytic tumors of the bronchus contained only cells of the cylindrical epithelium; therefore, the tumors grow under it.