FLOW CYTOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF PRIMARY AND METASTATIC SQUAMOUS-CELL CARCINOMA OF THE ORAL CAVITY AND OROPHARYNX

A retrospective analysis of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue f rom patients with histologically confirmed metastatic squamous cell ca rcinoma was performed using flow cytometry. Ninety-eight sets of speci mens from previously untreated patients with an oral cavity or orophar yngeal tumor and a simultaneous cervical metastatic deposit were analy zed. Normal mucosa and cervical lymph nodes were processed identically and run as controls, All patients underwent surgical resection at Wil ford Hall USAF Medical Center or The Eye and Ear Hospital of Pittsburg h between 1980 and 1986. The specimens from 94 patients were technical ly adequate for interpretation. Diploid histograms in both the primary and metastatic tumors were present in 49 (52%) of 94 patients, Aneupl oid histograms in either the primary or metastatic tumors were noted i n 45 (47%) of 94 patients, In this group of 45 patients, the primary t umor and cervical metastasis were both aneuploid in 21 (46%), and aneu ploid histograms occurred with equal incidence in either the primary o r metastasis in the remaining 24 cases. No statistically significant p rediction of survival could be made from any correlation with the hist ograms of either the primary or metastasis, The potential technical pr oblems and limitations of flow cytometry in the determination of DNA c ontent of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue and the selection o f patients with advanced disease warrant caution in the interpretation of results.