Bone marrow evaluation in small cell carcinoma of the lung

Internal fixation versus endoprosthetic replacement of the proximal femur for metastatic bone disease: Single institutional outcomes

PURPOSE

This study compared internal fixation (IF) to proximal femur replacement (PFR) for proximal femoral metastasis.

METHODS

Between 2005 and 2019, 113 lesions underwent IF (n = 94) or PFR (n = 19). Revision risk was calculated with mortality as a competing event.

RESULTS

The 5-year revision risk after IF was 17.6% (95% CI, 9.8%-27.3%) compared to 7.6% (95% CI, 0.3%-28.9%) after PFR (p = 0.59). PFR had longer operative times (p < 0.001), hospital stay (p = 0.039), and higher blood loss (p < 0.001) than IF, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

IF may be considered for patients with poor health and a limited prognosis given the less-invasive procedure and shorter hospital stay.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

III. Retrospective Study.

Bone Marrow Biopsy in the Staging of Small Cell Lung Cancer

From April 1982 to December 1987, 71 patients with small cell lung cancer entered a randomized clinical trial, and underwent bone marrow biopsy (BMB) as part of staging procedures. We identified 8 patients (11 %) with bone marrow metastases, 6 with extensive disease independently of BMB, and 2 with extensive disease on the basis of the BMB only. BMB determined a change in the stage in only 3 % (2/71) of the cases. No differences were found in the hematological parameters of the patients with or without bone marrow metastases. The median survival of the patients with bone marrow involvement was the same (41 weeks) as those with extensive disease but without bone marrow involvement. We conclude that unilateral BMB without aspiration detects a substantial proportion of bone marrow metastases in patients with extensive disease. This fact does not worsen the prognosis. A small proportion of patients with apparently limited disease has bone marrow involvement. The technique therefore contributes, to a small extent, to the definition of the clinical stage of the disease. However, bone marrow involvement is an important data of natural history, and therefore new methods to better assess this peculiar site of the disease are needed.

High-grade neuroendocrine carcinomas display unique cytogenetic aberrations

Neuroendocrine tumors represent a spectrum of tumor types with different biologic and clinical features. The morphologic types include the low-grade typical and atypical carcinoids and the high-grade small cell and large cell neuroendocrine carcinomas (NECs). Cytogenetic descriptions of high-grade NECs are rare. Complete karyotypic descriptions of 34 high-grade NECs are reviewed: 7 extrapulmonary small cell NECs, 3 metastatic NECs of unknown primary, and 24 small cell lung carcinomas (SCLCs). Chromosomal deletions are more frequent than gains and often involve the entire chromosome arm. Typical aberrations are deletions of chromosome 3p, 5q, 10q, and 17p and gains of 1q, 3q, and 5p occurring as isochromosomes. Non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) have different cytogenetic aberrations, but those with a metastatic phenotype display the identical aberrations as SCLC, a tumor known for its metastatic phenotype at onset. A genetic classification of lung cancer that incorporates the pattern of recurrent chromosome aberrations may be a better predictor of clinical outcome than a morphologic classification.

The value of bone marrow examination in small cell carcinoma of the lung

Of 668 consecutive patients with SCLC, 472 underwent bone marrow examination for staging. In 330 patients a triple examination (sternal aspiration, iliac crest aspiration and biopsy) was performed, otherwise a single procedure. Bone marrow infiltration (MI) was found in 37% of the patients with extensive disease, and the frequencies of a positive finding in single and triple examination were not statistically different. In the group having triple examination performed iliac crest aspiration alone disclosed MI in 32%. When all three procedures were included still more patients with MI were found (42%) but the two values were not significantly different. In 6.6% of patients who would have been classified as 'limited' did bone marrow examination change the stage to extensive disease. Based on these results we recommend iliac crest aspiration, but not triple examination with iliac crest biopsy, in the staging of SCLC.

The prognostic significance of bone marrow metastases in small cell lung cancer patients

One-hundred forty-six SCLC patients were classified as localised (56) or extensive (90) using chest X-ray, bronchoscopy, brain CT, bone scintigraphy, ultrasonography of the abdomen and bilateral bone marrow trephine biopsy. Bone marrow metastases were found in 28 cases. Patients with bone marrow metastases had significantly shorter time to progression (median 20 weeks) and significantly shorter survival time (median 31 weeks) than other patients with extensive disease (medians 30 and 46 weeks). Patients with bone marrow involvement had significantly more often metastases in three or more organs than others with extensive disease. The negative prognostic significance of bone marrow involvement was however independent of the negative prognostic significance of the number of organs with metastases.

Bone marrow examination in small cell lung cancer--when is it indicated?

To assess the usefulness of bone marrow (BM) examination performed as part of the staging procedure in SCLC, 137 patients with this neoplasm were studied. At diagnosis, BM was infiltrated in 23 patients (17%) and in 5 of them (22%) it was the only metastatic site. BM examination changed the previously given stage in 9% of the patients who were supposed to have limited disease before this test was performed. BM involvement correlated with a higher frequency of bone (p less than 0.05) and liver (p less than 0.01) metastasis. Correlations were found neither with blood or serum biochemistry disturbances nor with postchemotherapy haematologic toxicity. The BM positive patients had a survival rate similar to those with extensive disease but without BM infiltration. We conclude that BM examination should be performed only when no other metastatic sites have been found after a complete staging study.