Abstract
The signet ring cell carcinoma in superficial spreading type gastric cancer, which is histologically classified as undifferentiated because of no tubular formation, and which is though embryologically highly differentiated one, is closely related to the characteristic of the foveolar epithelial cells of the stomach. For this reason it does not undermine and has a good prognosis. On the other hand signet ring cell carcinoma of Borrmann lV or lll type of the stomach are ones thet diffusely invade the gastric wall. At the present time there is no attempt to classify these two types of signet ring cell carcinoma histologically. In this paper the cellular DNA contents of these two types were determined from resected specimens. The DNA histograms of early gastric cancer showed a monophasic pattern with a peak at 2C and regular distribution like normal cells while those of advanced cancers showed almost the same pattern as in early cancer but irregular distribution. This is different from the superficial spreading type. In advanced cancer the cellular DNA contents in both superficial and deep layers were of almost the same pattern, thus the canceruos cells do not metamorphose during the course of development, but grow as an invading cancer from the start.
