title: Tumour growth rates in squamous carcinoma of the head and neck measured by in vivo bromodeoxyuridine incorporation and flow cytometry.
abstract: The cell kinetics of 82 squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck were studied by in vivo administration of the thymidine analogue, bromodeoxyuridine (BrdUrd). Ploidy, BrdUrd labelling index (LI), duration of S-phase (Ts), potential doubling time (Tpot) and S-phase fraction (SPF) were measured by flow cytometry on 50 microns paraffin embedded sections. The range of values obtained compared well with other in vivo cell kinetic studies of head and neck cancer. Aneuploid tumours had a significantly higher BrdUrd labelling index and SPF, and a short Tpot than diploid tumours. To validate the use of 50 microns sections for measuring cell kinetic parameters by flow cytometry a comparison of values obtained by 50 microns sections and small blocks of tissue was made. No significant difference was found between the two methods. Reproducibility of values between two consecutive thick sections was also good. We conclude that reproducible cell kinetic measurements can be made in tumour samples using 50 microns sections of BrdUrd labelled tissue.
authors.affiliation: University Department of Surgery, Glasgow Royal Infirmary, UK.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Forster
authors.forename: T G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Cooke
authors.forename: L D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Cooke
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Stanton
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bowie
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Stell
mesh_terms: D000782:Aneuploidy; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine / Q000378:metabolism*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000502:physiology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000502:physiology; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D016196:S Phase / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine