ABSTRACT
Bone marrow samples obtained during rib resections in esophageal cancer patients evaluated by immunohistochemical and quantitative polymerase chain reaction techniques revealed disseminated tumor cells in up to 90% samples, but the clinical relevance of these findings is unclear. Evaluation of bone marrow involvement in these patients and its correlation with clinicopathological finding of tumor. 43 patients with esophageal cancer who referred to Omid and Ghaem hospitals from April 2008-2009 were selected to transthorasic surgery[without neoadjuvant treatment].Bone marrow samples from rib were evaluated by Hematoxylin-Eosin staining for tumoral involvement and cytokeratin immunohistochemistry to determine micrometastatic cells. The results were compared with primary tumor histopathologial characteristics; T stage, N stage, tumoral length and personal characteristics; age and sex. Patients mean age was 60.9 [51-70 years], the ratio of male to female was 2.9. 38 cases [88.4%] had squamous cell carcinoma and 5 [11.6%] adenocarsinoma. In 9 cases [20.9%] Hematoxylin-Eosin staining and 13 cases [30.2%] immunohistochemistry results were positive. There was no correlation between pathologic type and T stage with Hematoxylin-Eosin and cytokeratin results. [p=0.277, p=0.153] and [p=0.221, p=0.097]. There was a significant relation between bone marrow dissemination and mediastinal involvement and tumoral grade [p=0.008, p=0.001] and [p=0.002, p=0.001]. According to our study, there is a correlation between grade and N stage and bone marrow involvement in esophageal cancer patients and there is no statistically correlation with other clinicopathologial characteristic there is a low bone marrow involvement in our region patients, overally