Summary
It appears to be true that the confused histologieal nomenclature of carcinoma of the lung is due to the difficulties in the interpretation of the histology rather than intrinsic complexities in the tumours themselves. The conflicting histological classifications have been reviewed, and the fact that primary tumours of the lung show such pleomorphic features that no useful purpose is served by classifying them, has not been substantiated. There were no mixed tumours in this series of 120 cases. The changes in the tumours that might have been classified as such by other authors being due to squamous metaplasia, or the presence of connective tissue mucin or the differentiation in the oat cell carcinomata. It is hoped that the limits of each type of tumour mentioned in Table I have been clearly denned and the classification, squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, oat cell carcinoma, anaplastic carcinoma and bronchiolar carcinoma is recommended for the study of lung tumours in the future.
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Carroll, R. The histology of lung cancer. Ir J Med Sci 35, 374–382 (1960). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02945622
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02945622