Oat cell carcinoma of the larynx. A study of six new cases.

Clinicopathological details of six oat cell carcinomas of the larynx are presented. Five patients were male and heavy smokers. Only two patients had lymph node metastases at diagnosis. Only one tumour was unequivocally Grimelius stain positive. Immunostaining for neurone-specific enolase was negative in all cases. Neurosecretory granules were found in two tumours studied electron microscopically. Three tumours had areas of squamous carcinoma. Laryngectomy was the treatment of choice. Two patients are alive without evidence of disease 21 and 25 months after diagnosis.