STRUCTURAL STUDIES OF INITIAL LYMPHATICS ADJACENT TO GASTRIC AND COLONIC MALIGNANT NEOPLASMS

Abstract

Invasion and metastases are the main causes of death from cancer, and prognosis is bestcorrelated with invasion of malignant cells into initial lymphatics and dissemination to regionallymph nodes. Using both light and transmission electron microscopy, we examined humangastric and colonic cancers and their relation to initial lymphatics. Invasion of malignant tumorcells into the initial lymphatics was characterized by interdigitating and overlappingendothelium giving way to open junctions as lymphatic endothelial cells were apparentlydissolved and destroyed. Cytoplasmic vesicles, mitochondria, and rough endoplasmic reticulumwere qualitatively increased as demonstrated by image analysis.