ANALYSIS OF DNA CONTENT IN SUPRAGLOTTIC EPIDERMOID CARCINOMA

DNA analysis by flow cytometry is considered to be of prognostic value in epidermoid carcinoma of the head and neck. However, few and contra dictory studies have been made on laryngeal carcinomas. We studied 48 epidermoid carcinomas in patients subjected to horizontal supraglottic laryngectomy with a 5-year- followup. The technique described by Hedl ey for fixated and paraffin-embedded tumors was used. Thirteen tumors were excluded on the grounds of presenting variation coefficients in e xcess of 40. Of the 35 cases analyzed, 28 (80%) were diploid and seven (20%) aneuploid. No correlation was observed between tumor ploidy and patient survival, recurrence, or any of the histopathological variabl es studied.