[Cytometry of premalignant states]

The development of cancer in humans is considered as a multistep process ultimately leading to clinically detectable disease and further progression of the tumour. By use of cytometric techniques it has been possible to perform quantitative measurements and detect qualitative alterations in malignant tumours. This mainly applies to DNA aberrations and deviations in nuclear size and morphology. Such alterations may also be present for a long period prior to malignant, invasive growth, i.e. at a preneoplastic stage. A survey of available data on such preneoplastic changes is given. Since the type of aberrations is both dependent on the tissue of origin and the tumour type, this must always be taken into consideration. A particularly rapid expansion has taken place in the field of flow cytometry, where high resolution measurements of cellular DNA content as well as cell cycle distribution and other parameters can be performed shortly after sampling of the tissue. It is expected that cytometric methods will be used in future diagnostics of early cancerous growth in several organ systems, including the skin, the gastrointestinal tract, the urinary bladder, the breast and female genital organs.