[Comparison of the morphology of stomach, breast and lung cancer metastases to the lymph nodes].

One hundred and fourty seven lymph nodes involved by metastases of the stomach, breast and lung cancer have been examined. It was found that in metastatic stomach cancer the PAS-reaction intensity is high, the mitotic level is low, the modal class of cells on the histogram is diploid. Breast cancer metastases are characterized by weak PAS-reaction, distinct stroma and cell reaction around the tumor, the prevalence of tetroploid nuclei on the histogram. In lung cancer metastases the PAS-positive substances are practically absent, the stroma and cell-reaction around the tumor is less distinct, the mitotic level is high, the number of hypodiploid nuclei on the histogram is 10.4%. Based on the data obtained histographically the author suggests a new criterion -- a coefficient of stability/a ratio of the diploid nuclei number to the number of the rest ones/ which allows a quantitative characterization of the intensity of the nuclei polymorphism in tumors.