DNA flow cytometry of histological material from human gastric cancer

DNA flow cytometry was performed on fixed embedded histological material from 56 radical gastrectomies for human gastric cancer. The ploidy and proportion of cells in the DNA synthetic phase of the cell cycle (S phase fraction) were estimated and the results correlated with histological features. DNA aneuploidy was encountered in 73 per cent of cases. Aneuploid and diploid tumours both had significantly higher fractions of cells in S phase than normal mucosa. S phase fractions for aneuploid tumours were higher than diploid tumours. There was a trend for tumours exhibiting an infiltrating mode of growth and poor tubule formation to have a diploid DNA content and low S phase fraction. No difference was observed between the results obtained from tumours with or without lymph node metastases. Early uniform fixation greatly improved the quality of the flow cytometry results measurable by a reduction in the mean coefficient of variation.