Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is an easy and efficient means of measuring numerical chromosome aberrations in the interphase nuclei of solid tumors; however, the correlation between numerical chromosome aberrations and the clinical stage of solid tumors remains unknown. Thus, in the present study, we investigated the relationship between numerical chromosome aberrations and clinicopathologic features in colorectal adenocarcinomas. FISH was applied to surgically resected colorectal cancer samples from 45 patients to evaluate the numerical aberrations of chromosomes 11 and 17. The mean age of the patients was 65.1 years, and they comprised 13 women and 32 men. According to Dukes' classification, 5 patients were categorized as stage A, 21 as stage B, 10 as stage C, and 9 as stage D. Histologically, 18 of the samples were lymph node metastasis-positive. FISH revealed numerical aberrations of chromosome 11 in 27 out of the 45 patients (60%), and those with a lower chromosome 11 number had a significantly lower incidence of lymph node metastasis (P < 0.05). Chromosome 17 proved to have numerical abnormalities in 33 of the 45 patients (73%), and those with a higher chromosome 17 number had more DNA aneuploidy (P < 0.005). This is the first report to reveal the relationship between monosomy 11 and lymph node metastasis in colorectal adenocarcinomas.

Quantitative analysis by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) on thin paraffin-embedded tissue sections, using specific probes for chromosomes 11, 17, and 18 was employed in various morphological types of early and advanced colorectal cancer to clarify tumor cytogenetics. The chromosome index (CI) was calculated as a quantitative measure of the chromosome copy number. Compared with the CI of normal epithelium, the CI of chromosome 11 in villous components of adenomas or polypoid early cancers was decreased, while the CI in flat type or advanced colorectal cancers, conversely, was increased (P < 0.05). The CI of chromosome 17 in villous components of adenomas and all cancers was higher than that of normal epithelium (P < 0.05), but the differences were not significant. In protruding advanced cancers, the CI of chromosome 18 was significantly decreased (P < 0.01) compared to the CI of normal epithelium. There was no significant chromosomal heterogeneity between the superficial and the deepest layer in each cancer. In mucosa adjacent to sessile and flat type cancers, the CI of chromosome 17 was significantly higher than the CI in normal epithelium or adenomas (P < 0.05). These results suggest that numerical chromosome aberrations are associated with the histological type of adenoma and the morphological diversity of cancer in the colorectum, and that chromosome 17 abnormality occurs in mucosa adjacent to sessile and flat cancers.

We analyzed 49 patients with non-small-cell lung cancer invading mediastinal organs such as the left atrium (15), superior vena cava (13), trachea (11), aorta (5), thoracic vertebral body (4) and esophagus (1). Lung resection included lobectomy (37), pneumonectomy (8) and limited resection (4). Twenty-seven patients underwent carina- or bronchoplasty. Complete resection was possible in 35 patients. Operative mortality was 12% and overall 5-year survival was 13%. Median survival time was 519 days. Factors significantly affecting survival were the completeness of resection, node status, and histological type. Five-year survival was 18% with complete resection and 0% with incomplete resection (p < 0.0001). Five-year survival for patients with squamous cell carcinoma was 36% and for those with other types of lung cancer, 0% (p < 0.02). Five-year survival for patients classified pathologically as N0 or N1 was 36% and, for those classified as N2 or N3, 0% (p < 0.05). We concluded that aggressive resection for lung cancer invading the mediastinal organs involves a high mortality rate, making selectivity important. Patients undergoing complete resection, classified as N0 or N1, and having squamouse cell carcinoma may benefit most from surgery.

We were able to perform this treatment for these advanced lung cancer patients, which had the preventive effect of carcinomatous pleuritis. This therapy shows the possibility of a treatment that might lead to an improvement in the prognosis of these patients, without causing severe complications.

Early gastric cancer composed of signet ring cell carcinoma is usually present as a depressed lesion and rarely manifests as a protruding lesion. To our knowledge, only eight cases have been reported in the literature. We herein report such a rare lesion which developed in an asymptomatic 55-year-old man.