DNA ANALYSIS BY FLOW-CYTOMETRY IN NONSMALL CELL LUNG-CANCER - RELATIONSHIP TO EPIDERMAL GROWTH-FACTOR RECEPTOR, HISTOLOGY, TUMOR STAGE AND SURVIVAL

In a retrospective study, surgical specimens of 136 patients with nonsmall cell lung cancer, were investigated for DNA content by flow cytometry. Seventy per cent of all tumours were aneuploid. Aneuploidy was a statistically significant factor for shorter survival and was independent of tumour size, histology, grade of differentiation, regional lymph node involvement, age and sex (P<0·02). A high proliferation index (>7·5%) was also a prognostically unfavourable factor and was observed significantly more often in tumours where the majority of cells expressed epidermal growth factor receptor. © 1990, Baillière Tindall. All rights reserved.