ABSTRACT
Background and Objectives: Currently, one of the most useful prognostic indicators in Ewing sarcomas (ES) is the presence of metastatic disease at diagnosis. According to various clinical guidelines, the assessment of bone marrow (BM) metastases, using light microscopy examination of bone marrow aspirates and biopsies (BMAB) is mandatory. However, the prognostic value of BM positivity is discussed controversially. Therefore, the primary aim of this study was to retrospectively review BM samples from patients with ES. Materials and Methods: This retrospective single centre study included 31 patients that were newly diagnosed with ES between 2000 and 2014. Twenty-seven patients had skeletal ES and in 4 patients the tumour was localized in the soft tissue only. Metastases at diagnosis were present in 5 out of 31 patients. BM samples were morphologically and immunohistochemically searched and screened for the presence or absence of BM metastases. Furthermore, in 15 of the 31 patients BM samples were still available and were reanalysed, using nested-polymerase chain reaction. Results: All BM samples of our 31 ES patients, including the 5 metastatic patients, were, morphologically and immunohistochemically tested negative for tumour cell appearance. The nested-PCR results were also negative in all of our 15 retested patients, including two patients with metastatic disease. Conclusions: Based on our results and on the contradictory results reported in the literature we recommend a re-evaluation of the necessity and the prognostic value of BMAB in the initial staging process of newly diagnosed ES patients
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND@#Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is highly malignant and prone to bone marrow metastasis in early stage, but its related reports are limited. This study analyzed the clinical feature, laboratory examination, treatment and prognosis of SCLC patients with bone marrow metastasis.@*METHODS@#The clinical data of 26 SCLC patients with bone marrow metastasis were analyzed retrospectively. Prognostic factors were evaluated.@*RESULTS@#The median age of 26 patients was 57 years and the median time from diagnosis of SCLC to confirmed bone marrow metastases was 8 d. Most patients (96.2%) were accompanied by other organ metastases. The most common laboratory abnormalities were elevated lactate dehydrogenase in 19 cases (73.1%), thrombocytopenia and elevated alkaline phosphatase respectively in 11 cases (42.3%) and anemia in 7 cases (26.9%). Twenty patients had received chemotherapy and the remaining 6 patients had not. Of this group, 16 patients received at least 2 cycles of chemotherapy after the diagnosis of bone marrow metastasis. The median survival time was 15.7 wk (0.1 wk-82.9 wk) after diagnosis of bone marrow metastasis. The survival of patients with chemotherapy was significantly better than that of those without chemotherapy (χ²=33.768, P<0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that no chemotherapy was independent poor prognostic factors (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#The SCLC patients with bone marrow metastasis have short survival, whereas chemotherapy can extend the survival of patients.