NUCLEAR-DNA CONTENT USING COMPUTERIZED IMAGE CYTOMETRY OF SQUAMOUS-CELL CARCINOMAS OF THE HEAD AND NECK

Ploidy status using flow cytometry of head and neck cancers may be of prognostic value. We describe the use of image cytometry in ploidy mea surement of squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck (SCCHN). Thi s technique allows only tumour cells to be measured, thereby rejecting debris, artefact and benign cells. Tissue sections were cut from tumo urs and then Feulgen stained. A total of 60 patients were included in this study, 23 females and 37 males. The data reveals a relationship b etween ploidy status and the histological differentiation. However, th e ploidy status and histological differentiation do not appear to corr elate to the clinical stage of the disease. This method of measuring p loidy may be more accurate than flow cytometry and may have a prognost ic role in head and neck cancer patients. A study comparing both metho ds may demonstrate this and we aim to evaluate this in the future.