Flow cytometric DNA ploidy analysis of oral cancer - Comparison with histologic grading

It has been reported that DNA content analysis provides prognostic informat ion eliminating the subjective component involved in routine microscopic de cision making. In an attempt to establish a relationship between pathologic al findings and how cytometric analysis, 36 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedd ed tumour tissue samples were prepared according to Hedley's method and ana lysed by means of an Epics Profile II flow cytometer. DNA aneuploidy was ob served in 15 tumours (41%). A statistically significant correlation was ide ntified between DNA index and mitoses, cellular response and degree of diff erentiation, but not the ploidy status. It was not possible to identify a s ignificant association of sex, age, and site of the tumour to DNA index. We found a strong correlation between histologic malignancy and DNA index; an increase in DNA index as malignancy score increases was noted. It was conc luded that DNA index shows a good correlation with the histologic features of oral cancer, being a complement of differentiation and histologic gradin g analysis. The use of DNA analysis as a complement to pathological studies would help to diminish the subjective component of assessment of head and neck cancers. Ploidy status was not statistically associated with the diffe rentiation of tumours. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.