The relationship between nuclear DNA content, cytomorphologic features, and prognosis in squamous cell carcinoma of the lung

Abstract

We examined the relationship among nuclear DNA content, cytomorphologic features, and prognosis in squamous cell carcinoma of the lung. We found no significant relationship between either the light green stain intensity of cytoplasm or the number of keratinized cancer cells and the prognosis of patients. The 5-year survival of patients with large nucleic tumors (tumors with nuclei greater than 11μm in mean diameter) was 71%, and that of patients with small nucleic tumors (tumors with nuclei less than 10μm in mean diameter) was 20%(p <0.001). Patients with diploid tumors had significantly longer survival times (a 5-year survival rate of 63%) than did those with aneuploid tumors (29%)(p <0.01). Patients with tumors having both largenuclei and a DNA index of 1.0 had the longest survival times (a 5-year survival rate of 100%). This was followed by patients with large nucleic tumors and a DNA index of more than 1.51 (71%). However, all patients with small nucleic tumors and a DNA index of more than 1.51 died within 30 months.
These findings suggest that the malignancy level of squamous cell lung cancers and the prognosis could be determined by studying the nuclear size and the DNA content of the tumor.