Histopathological Assessment of Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinomas

Non-small cell lung carcinomas (NSCLC) are common lung tumors with numerous growth patterns associated with lesion types, which are frequently diagnosed late and are associated with a reserved prognosis. In this study, we analyzed histopathologically and statistically 52 cases of NSCLC, for which the growth types/patterns were described and compared with tumor grade, the presence of vessels invasion and stage of tumor. We observed the predominance of adenocarcinomas (ADK) and acinar, cribriform, solid and papillary growth patterns, frequent mixed transitional areas, while for squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) the non-keratinized aspect was dominant. Vascular invasion was identified in 38.5% of cases, most NSCLC being in advanced stages, respectively 57.7%. ADK with cribriform, solid, and micropapillary patterns, as well as nonkeratinized SCC (NKSCC) and large cell carcinoma (LCC) were significantly associated with high grade, vessels invasion, and advanced stage of tumors. Transitional areas of ADK and focal keratinizations in SCC suggest the presence of specific lung tumor histological lesions, which in evolution acquire aggressive patterns.