Erschienen in:
17.09.2016 | Original Article – Cancer Research
The ratio of cancer cells to stroma after induction therapy in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer
verfasst von:
Masaki Goto, Masahito Naito, Koichi Saruwatari, Kakeru Hisakane, Motohiro Kojima, Satoshi Fujii, Takeshi Kuwata, Atsushi Ochiai, Shogo Nomura, Keiju Aokage, Tomoyuki Hishida, Junji Yoshida, Kohei Yokoi, Masahiro Tsuboi, Genichiro Ishii
Erschienen in:
Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology
|
Ausgabe 2/2017
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Abstract
Purpose
Induction therapy induces degenerative changes of various degrees in both cancerous and non-cancerous cells of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The effect of induction therapy on histological characteristics, in particular the ratio of residual cancer cells to non-cancerous components, is unknown.
Methods
Seventy-four NSCLC patients treated with induction therapy followed by surgery were enrolled. Residual cancer cells were identified using anti-pan-cytokeratin antibody (AE1/AE3). We analyzed and quantified the following three factors via digital image analysis; (1) the tumor area containing cancer cells and non-cancerous components (TA), (2) the total area of AE1/AE3 positive cancer cells (TACC), (3) the percentage of TACC to TA (%TACC). These factors were also analyzed in a matched control group (surgery alone, n = 80).
Results
The median TACC of the induction therapy group was significantly lower than that of the control group (p < 0.01). In addition, the median %TACC of the induction therapy group (5.9 %) was significantly lower than that of the control group (58.6 %) (p < 0.01). TACC had a strong positive correlation with TA in the control group (r = 0.93), but not in the induction therapy group. Conversely, TACC had a strong positive correlation with %TACC in the induction therapy group (r = 0.95), but not in the control group.
Conclusion
Unlike the control group, the smaller the total area of residual cancer cells, the higher residual tumor contained non-cancerous components in the induction group, which may be the characteristic histological feature of NSCLC after induction therapy.