[Comparative evaluation of gastro-intestinal tract tumors on the basis of data from determination of DNA content...

Morphologic and cytophotometric characteristics of tumours and tumour-like lesions of the stomach, colon and rectum from 267 patients were compared in the biopsy material. There was a diploid DNA distribution in the adenomas and tumour-like lesions of colon and rectum. The correlation between the proliferative activity and the epithelial dysplasia degree was noted in adenomas; aneuploid cells were found in 5 adenomas. 53% of gastric carcinoma and 64% of colon and rectum carcinomas were aneuploid (the difference is not significant). Poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma much more frequently (the difference is significant) was found in the aneuploid tumours, well differentiated adenocarcinoma and signet cell carcinoma- in the diploid tumours. DNA index (1.09-1.50) of the aneuploid cells of gastric carcinoma was in 42% cases in the near diploid--triploid region while in colon and rectum carcinoma (60.5%) it was in the triploid--tetraploid region. The type of DNA distribution, particularly in the diploid tumours, should be controlled cytologically.