Detection at diagnosis of tumor cells in bone marrow aspirates of patients with small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) and clinical correlations.

Background: Immunocytochemistry has often been used to identify tumor cells in bone marrow aspirate (BMA) of SCLC patients in order to improve the results of conventional histomorphology. However, whether the detection of bone marrow microlocalisation at diagnosis had implications for prognosis has not been clear.

Patients And Methods: Eighty-four slides (44 patients) and 66 bone marrow biopsies (from 42/44 patients) were evaluated.

[The use of monoclonal antibodies that recognize the neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) in the diagnosis of bone marrow localization of small cell lung cancer].

We have used immunocytochemistry to identify tumor cells in bone-marrow aspirates of 40 untreated patients with small cell lung cancer and we compared the results with conventional histomorphology. The monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) used were NCC-LU-243 and NCC-LU-246 (both cluster 1). For each MAb 76 slides were evaluated.