The importance of histological verification of tumour metastasis

Overview

Tumour growth can be defined as uncontrolled proliferation. New mutations, that are responsible for the emergence of new clones, occur during tumour growth. The larger the tumour is, the greater the heterogeneity of the tumour cells there are in the tumour. Mutant clones of cells show higher proliferative activity, have a greater tendency to metastasize and their sensitivity to anticancer treatment is limited. Untargeted chemotherapeutics inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis in tumour cells by non-specific interference in replication, transcription, translation, and mitosis. Targeted treatment has a relatively specific effect on specific proteins or signalling pathways. Histological verification with detailed immunohistochemical examination is essential for the submission of targeted therapy. Three cases with surprising histology are described in this article.

Key words:
antineoplastic treatment, histological verification.