Malignant disease and tracheobronchial epithelial multinucleation.

Multinucleation of noncancerous ciliated tracheobronchial epithelial cells seen in smears from 412 patients suffering from malignant tumors originating from a wide variety of organs was found to be 2.03 times more frequent than in a control group without prediagnosed malignant disease, matched by age (decades), sex, and smoking habit (p less than 0.0005). Multinucleation involving at least 3% of cells was seen four times more frequently in patients with invasive tumors without known metastases than in controls. Excessive smoking habit in control females as well as site of origin and stage of tumor influenced statistical significance, otherwise unaffected by age, sex, and smoking habit in males. A prospective study is being planned in which incidence and degree of tracheobronchial epithelial multinucleation will be used in conjunction with biochemical tests for the diagnosis of occult cancer.