Ultrastructure of tumour invasion and desmoplastic response of bronchogenic squamous cell carcinoma.

Using ultrastructural methods we studied the interaction of tumour cells and lung parenchyma in deep areas (i.e., more than about 3 mm from the tumour surface) of 50 bronchogenic squamous cell carcinomas. The tumour periphery, studied previously, had shown organized associations of tumour cells and lung epithelial cells and a surprising lack of invasion of non-epithelial tissue compartments. The deeper areas, where the tumour cells and the lung parenchyma had been in contact for longer periods, consisted of irregular groups of tumour cells and desmoplastic stroma which was very similar to granulation tissue. The deeper areas also contained many intact lung epithelial cells, arranged in compressed and distorted alveolar structures. Where non-neoplastic epithelial cells and tumour cells had direct contact, they formed common junctional complexes and basal laminae. In part of the tumours, the cells were largely devoid of a basal lamina. However, in most instances a continuous basal lamina surrounded every tumour cell group studied, even when these formed irregular strands or seemed to be completely isolated.