[DNA analysis of resected pulmonary adenocarcinoma]

The nuclear DNA content was determined by flow cytometry (FCM) in 155 resected specimens (122 paraffin-embedded and 33 fresh frozen specimens) of primary adenocarcinoma of the lung obtained at our department during the 8 years from 1982 to July, 1990. Aneuploid patterns were observed in 106 specimens (68.4%), and the diploid patterns in 49 (31.6%). No difference was observed in the age, sex, or clinical stage between the two groups. As for the relationship of the presence or absence of vascular infiltration with the DNA index (DI) and the heterogeneity index score (HIS), the percent positivity of vascular infiltration was 38.1% in the group with 1 less than or equal to DI less than 1.5 but nearly twice higher at 63.6% in the group with 1.5 less than or equal to DI. The percent positivity of vascular infiltration was 29.4% in the group with HIS less than 100 but 62.5% in the group with 100 less than or equal to HIS. Concerning the relationship between the ploidy pattern and outcome, the 5-year survival rate was 28.0% in the aneuploidy group and 65.1% in the diploid group, the outcome being significantly poorer in the first group. Concerning the relationship between DI and outcome, the 5-year survival rate was 14.9% in the group with 1.5 less than or equal to DI as compared with 55.4% in the group with 1.0 less than or equal to DI less than 1.5. DNA analysis was made also in bronchoscopic brushing specimens to examine the possibility of preoperative evaluation of the prognosis of lung cancer.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)