title: Absence of correlation between nuclear morphometry and survival in stage I non-small cell lung carcinoma.
abstract: To evaluate the utility of nuclear morphometry as a prognostic indicator in lung cancer, 5-year follow-up information was obtained in 46 cases of surgically resected Stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Nuclear area, perimeter, major diameter, minor diameter, and nuclear shape factor were determined from representative histologic sections of the tumors with a computer-assisted digitizing system. The morphometric parameters were compared between patients with favorable outcome (Group I: alive with no evidence of disease, n = 17) and those with poor outcome (Group II: dead of disease or with recurrence of disease, n = 29). No significant differences in any of the morphometric parameters were found between tumors in Groups I and II for individual tumor cell types or the combined cases. Failure to demonstrate a correlation between morphometric parameters and prognosis in Stage I NSCLC indicates that future efforts to determine objective prognostic factors should concentrate on other variables, such as specific genetic abnormalities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Methodist Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030.
authors.forename: P T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Cagle
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Langston
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Fraire
authors.forename: V L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Roggli
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Greenberg
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D016019:Survival Analysis