Novel technique for early detection of lymph node metastases

Drake, Rebecca

doi:10.1038/nrurol.2010.130

Research Highlight
Published: September 2010

Prostate cancer

Novel technique for early detection of lymph node metastases

Rebecca Drake

Nature Reviews Urology volume 7, page 475 (2010)Cite this article

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Metastasis to regional lymph nodes is an important prognostic factor in prostate cancer. Disease progression and patient survival can vary depending on the number of metastatic lymph nodes identified and the tumor volume. Histopathological analysis of a few sections cut from each lymph node is the current standard assessment technique. Malignant cells are, however, often unevenly distributed throughout the node. As such, histological analysis does not always generate an accurate report of tumor spread or load.

Schilling et al. analyzed 232 lymph nodes (an average of 22 per patient) from 20 men with prostate cancer (median age 66 years) who were at high risk of lymph node involvement. Each node was bisected. One half was examined using routine histopathology and step-section analysis. The other half was mechanically disaggregated before being processed for single-cell immunocytochemistry to detect pancytokeratine. Ten pelvic lymph nodes from two male patients not suspected of having prostate cancer were used as controls.

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ORIGINAL RESEARCH PAPER

Schilling, D. et al. Quantification of tumor cell burden by analysis of single cell lymph node disaggregates in metastatic prostate cancer. Prostate 70, 1110–1118 (2010)
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