[The ultrastructural characteristics of human lung adenocarcinomas as a factor in the prognosis in surgical treatment].

The material of 70 patients with lung adenocarcinomas radically operated at the All-Union Cancer Research Centre is analyzed. The spread of tumour expressed in terms of TNM system (I group--T1-3 N0M0--37 patients, II group--T1-3 N1M0--18 patients, III group--T1-3 N2M0--11 patients, IV group--T1-3 N1M1--4 patients) and its ultrastructure served as criteria. The correlation is found between the life-span, degree and type of the tumour cell ultrastructural differentiation. The most favourable prognosis at comparable tumour spread is found when the tumour cell ultrastructural differentiation corresponded to that of Clara type, pneumocytes of II order and ciliary type. Less favourable ultrastructural features were the domination of undifferentiated cells and the presence of goblet cells and those having the signs of differentiation into the various directions. The lack of correlation of the differentiation at the light microscopic and ultrastructural levels is found in some cases this being reflected in delayed results.