Differentiation of primary or metastatic lung carcinoma by phospholipid analysis. A new approach for lung carcinoma differentiation.

Phospholipid analyses were performed on lung adenocarcinoma tissues from three patients who had undergone thoracotomy with a previous malignancy of the rectum or colon. The carcinomas were histologically difficult to differentiate as being primary or metastatic. The phospholipid profiles of the lung carcinomas in these cases were significantly different from those of primary lung adenocarcinoma, but were very similar to those of primary adenocarcinomas of the rectum or colon, suggesting that these carcinomas are metastatic. Therefore, the findings support the idea that phospholipid analysis of a tumor occurring in the lung could be very useful for differentiating whether such a tumor is primary or metastatic. The value of phospholipid analysis in assessing such tumors is emphasized as a new approach for differentiating lung carcinoma.