Cellular measurements on early and advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus in Northern China.

Cellular measurements and microstructural changes are reported in 68 proven esophageal squamous cell carcinomas including 29 cases (1,100 cells measured) of early cancer (in situ or early invasive) and 39 cases (1,170 cells measured) of advanced cancer. The cytoplasmic diameters were 20.72 +/- 0.20 micrometers in the early cancers and 22.98 +/- 0.28 micrometers in the advanced cancers (P less than 0.001). The nuclear diameters were 13.52 +/- 0.09 micrometers (early) and 13.78 +/- 0.1 micrometers (advanced) (P less than 0.05). An increase in the amount of cytoplasm was the predominant variant in cellular size with progression of the disease. Irregularities of the nuclear membrane were not significantly different between cells of the two groups. The number of nuclei and nucleoli was increased in advanced cancer. In 31.72% of the early cancer cells, the nucleoli were indistinct. The largest nucleoli were 6.75 micrometers in diameter. Overall, the most common chromatin pattern was the reticulated; however, the percentage of clumped, coarse granular and combined (coarse granular and clumped) chromatin patterns increased as the disease progressed (P less than 0.001).