Nuclear DNA content and other prognostic factors of surgical treatment in non-small cell lung cancer less than 20 mm in size

Abstract

Among 366 cases of surgical resected lung cancer, 57 (15.6%) excluding small cell carcinoma, were primary lesions of less than 20 mm in diameter. According to histological type, 19, 33, 2, 3 and one cases were squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, large cell carcinoma, carcinoid and adenosquamous cell carcinoma, respectively. By stage, 41, 5, 8 and 3 cases were at stage I, II, III and IV, respectively. The survival rate was 74.7% for stage I cases and 40% for stage II cases at 5 years but stage III and stage IV cases died of relapse within 24 months after resection. Stage III cases showed unfavorable courses. DNA dipl
DNA diploidy in all cases was all at stage I, but DNA aneuploidy was advanced in lung cancer associated with vascular invasion and lymph node metastasis. Concerning vascular invasion, the survival rate was 35.2% for positive cases and 79.8% for negative cases at 5 years. From the standpoint of nuclear DNA content, DNA diploidy and DNA aneuploidy were involved in 12 and 32 (72.7%) cases, respectively. The survival rate was 100% for DNA diploidy and 49.3% for DNA aneuploidy at 5 years, with significant difference (p<0.01) in vascular invasion and nuclear DNA content. The survival rate for DNA aneuploidy and vascular invasion was 18.2% compared with 68.9% for no vascular invasion, with a significant difference (p <0.01), suggesting nuclear DNA content to be an important, independent factor influencing prognosis.