Carcinocythemia due to metastatic oat-cell carcinoma of the lung.

Abstract

The concept of circulating tumour cells is not new, and several studies have confirmed the presence of these cells by means of various concentration techniques.SA Carey and colleagues5 used the term carcinocythemia to designate the presence in the circulation of carcinoma cells in contradistinction to acute myelogenous leukemia cells, which may complicate chemotherapy6 and radiotherapy7 for primary cancers. They stressed the potential problems and implications of such differentiation. Carey and colleagues interpreted carcinocythemia as carcinoma cell leukemia; however, owing to the conflicting meaning implied by this interpretation, we have chosen to refer to carcinocythemia as the presence in the circulation of carcinoma cells rather than carcinoma cell leukemia. This report describes a case of carcinocythemia in a 48-year-old woman who had primary oat-cell carcinoma of the lung with widespread metastases. The size and features of the cancer cells created initial difficulties in the interpretation of the buffy-coat preparation and the peripheral blood and bone marrow smears.