Metastatic tumours

The lungs are a very common site for metastasis. Metastases are diagnosed in sputum in up to 70% of cases.

• Squamous carcinomas from aerodigestive tract
• Breast carcinoma
• Renal cell carcinoma
• Adenocarcinomas from digestive tract
• Bladder carcinoma
• Male and female genital tract malignancies
• Thyroid carcinoma
• Melanoma
• Hematopoietic malignancies
• Sarcoma

Confirming metastatic disease is a major indication for transthoracic FNA.

Primary sites for some metastatic tumors can be inferred based on their characteristic cytologic features, but the clinical history is particularly important. Tissue-specific markers can be assessed on cell block preparations; immunocytochemistry is often helpful in distinguishing primary from metastatic disease and in identifying the origin of metastasis.

	breast	colon	FNA meta renis? carc

signet ring carcinoma		renal clear cell carcinoma

oncocytic thyroid carcinoma

metastatic epidermoid carcinoma		metastatic sarcoma	soft tissue sarcoma

metastatic breast carcinoma		ER positive	bronchial brush breast