Spread of hyperplastic pulmonary neuroendocrine cells into air spaces (S.H.I.P.M.E.N.T.S): A proof for artifact

Spread through air spaces (STAS) is a hype and assumed to be another way for tumor cells to permeate lung parenchyma beyond classical invasion criteria (stroma, patterning and lymphovascular spaces) [1], which is increasingly described at the growing edges of adenocarcinoma [2,3], squamous cell carcinoma [4], sarcomatoid carcinoma [5] and neuroendocrine (NE) neoplasms [6,7], with worrisome implications for tumor recurrence, reduced survival and parenchyma-sparing resections [8 –11]. STAS was officially introduced in the 2015 World Health Organization classification for adenocarcinoma [1], but aerogenous spread as a sign of unfavorable prognosis dates back to the mid-80 s and early 2000s, when was proposed in mucinous and non-mucinous adenocarcinoma [12] and carcinoid [13,14].

Source: Lung Cancer - September 12, 2019 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Giuseppe Pelosi, Francesco Nesa, Davide Taietti, Sascia Pietro Servillo, Nikolaos Papanikolaou, Maurizio Zompatori, Alberto Meroni, Sergio Harari, Matteo Incarbone Source Type: research