Bone marrow metastases detection in small cell lung cancer. A review.

Small cell lung cancer is known to carry a high capacity to metastasize in various sites including bone marrow. We here review the respective sensitivities of classical cyto-histological methods and of more recently described techniques such as cell cultures, immunostaining with monoclonal antibodies and magnetic resonance imaging. These new and somehow less aggressive methods allow the detection of malignant cells in 50% or more of patients with small cell lung cancer. However, their potential usefulness in the staging of such patients as well as their therapeutic and clinical implications remain undetermined. Their possible clinical value needs to be evaluated in future trials.