[Flow cytometric analysis of cellular DNA content of lung cancer with reference to survival]

The cellular DNA content of lung cancer were measured by flow cytometry on 223 paraffin-embedded specimens prepared from resected lung carcinomas. According to the histological type of lung cancer, the mean values for the DNA Index were 1.41 in adenocarcinoma, 1.39 in squamous cell carcinoma, 1.33 in large cell carcinoma and 1.84 in small cell carcinoma. The DNA Index of small cell carcinoma was thus slightly higher than that of the other histological types, without statistically significant difference. Of 223 lung carcinoma cases, 131 (59.1%) were DNA aneuploidy and 92 (40.9%) were DNA diploidy. DNA aneuploidy was found in 56.1% of adenocarcinomas, 59.5% of squamous cell carcinomas, 53.3% of large cell carcinomas and 100% of small cell carcinomas. According to the staging of the lung cancer, the mean values of the DNA Index were 1.40 in stage I, 1.46 in stage II, 1.36 in stage IIIA, 1.48 in stage IIIB and 1.48 in stage IV. No statistically significant differences were found among these stages. DNA aneuploidy was found in 57.1% of stage I, 57.9% of stage II, 54.7% of stage IIIA, 60.0% of stage IIIB and 75.0% of stage IV. The correlation of DNA content with survival were investigated in 94 cases with stage I non-small cell carcinoma which underwent absolute curative resection. Of 94 cases, the 5-year survival rate of 40 cases with DNA diploidy was 81.1% and a mean survival time 111 months, while this one of the remaining 54 with DNA aneuploidy was 58.4% and a mean survival time 80 months.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)