Bombesin, a regulatory peptide found in adult lung and in higher concentration during development in the foetal lung, has potent biological actions which include the ability to stimulate the release of a number of hormones. Radioimmunoassay of extracts of tumour, lung and plasma from patients with bronchial carcinoma revealed very high tissue bombesin concentrations in two oat cell carcinomas, with lower levels in two out of six adenocarcinomas exceeding the concentrations found in normal lung. The oat cell carcinomas also contained significant amounts of somatostatin and in one case neurotensin. Neurotensin was further detected in two out of seven squamous tumours and three adenocarcinomas. Secretion of regulatory peptides by bronchial carcinomas may account for some of their ill-understood non-metastatic clinical manifestations.

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SummaryNeurotensin, a neuroendocrine peptide present in gut and brain has previously been found in pancreatic tumours secreting several other peptides. We report here the first case of a patient with a neurotensinsecreting adenocarcinoma of the bronchus.

Summary Chylous pleural effusion, though not chyluria, is a recognized association of carcinoma of the bronchus. A case of chyluria associated with squamous bronchial carcinoma is reported. Chyluria in this patient was successfully treated by dietary modification.

SummaryA 62-year-old man undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting sustained profuse unexplained haemorrhage during sternal diathermy before sternotomy. Histology of tissue from the sternum suggested metastatic renal carcinoma. A primary renal tumour was subsequently identified. Sternal metastases are rare, often highly vascular, and arise particularly from thyroid or renal tumours. In the absence of angiographic evidence of an eroding aortic aneurysm, sternal metastases represent the most likely cause of unexplained haemorrhage during sternotomy.