NONSMALL CELL LUNG-CANCER - MORPHOLOGY AND DNA FLOW-CYTOMETRY

OBJECTIVE: To correlate stage-related and histologic features of non-s mall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with DNA flow cytometric parameters. STU DY DESIGN: The clinicopathologic features, DNA flow cytometric paramet ers (ploidy type, S-phase fraction and DNA index [DI]) of 72 surgicall y resected NSCLC were reviewed. RESULTS: NSCLC were classified on the basis of their DI in diploid, peridiploid, hypotriploid, triploid, hyp er triploid, tetraploid, hypertetraploid and multiploid tumors. DI was significantly related to pleural infiltration, pT, histologic type an d evidence of necrosis. Tumors in filtrating the pleura were mostly tr iploid or hypertriploid; high pT stages were also hypertetraploid. Ade nocarcinomas showed a wide DI distribution, squamous carcinomas were mostly diploid, triploid or hypertriploid and large cell carcinomas we re mostly triploid, hypertriploid and hypertetraploid. The best combin ation of features able to predict disease relapse was pT pills pN plus grading and divergent differentiation. CONCLUSION: Many stage-related and histologic features are associated with particular DI classes, wh ich vary in relation to the feature itself and, in some cases, regardl ess of classical methods of grading and histologic typing. DNA content analysis highlights greater biologic heterogeneity in NSCLC than evid enced morphologically.