Prognostic significance of reactive changes in regional lymph nodes in gastric and mammary carcinomas.

Regional lymph nodes in 80 cases of gastric and 70 cases of breast cancer have been examined and the reactive types have been correlated to the survival periods of the patients. In both groups of patients, a prognostically favorable sign was the detection of lymphocytic predominance combined with sinus histiocytosis, moreover, in patients with gastric cancer also the reactive type of predominance of germinal centers with sinus histiocytosis. Prognostically unfavorable sign was the detection of lymphocytic depletion, in particular if sinus histiocytosis was absent. The presence of metastases in the lymph nodes--apart from the reactive type--cannot be regarded as a sign of bad prognosis.