The extent and pattern of infiltration along the bronchial wall in central type lung cancer

Gross and microscopic study was made in fifty specimens emphasizing on the bronchial wall of lung cancer. The extent and pattern of infiltration along the proximal bronchial wall in the central type lung cancer were observed. The cancerous tissue extended proximally from less than 1.2 cm in the majority of cases, to a maximum of 1.6 cm from the cancer base. The lesions can be divided into three gross types: infiltrating, polypoid and nodular. In the infiltrating type, the cancerous tissue spread along the bronchial wall far and may involve multiple layers in the wall. In the polypoid type, the infiltration did not reach far as compared with the other types. None in the polypoid type was over 0.4 cm. The nodular type comprising 54% (27/50), was more common than the others. In order to improve the operative result, infiltrating pattern and distance along the bronchial wall are important references for resection of central type lung cancer.