title: Prognostic significance of DNA patterns and resistance-predictive tests in non-small cell lung carcinoma.
abstract: In a cooperative study, 240 surgical specimens of patients with non-small cell lung carcinomas (NSCLC) were investigated by means of flow cytometry, xenotransplantation to athymic mice and, an in vitro short-term test for predicting resistance. Aneuploidy was found in 83% of the tumors, and 20% showed more than one aneuploid DNA stemline. Patients with both aneuploid tumors and tumors with more than one DNA stemline had a significantly shorter survival rate than those with only diploid or only one DNA stemline. Patients whose tumors showed a low G0/G1-cell proportion or a high proliferation pool (S and G2/M-cell proportion) died earlier. A relationship could not be discerned between growth of tumors in nude mice or establishment of cell lines and the prognosis for the patients. Patients with in vitro-resistant tumors died earlier under chemotherapy than those with in vitro-sensitive tumors. Patients treated by radiation survived longer if the tumors were resistant in vitro. Thus, DNA patterns and in vitro short-term tests for predicting resistance represent useful tools for prognostic evaluation of patients with NSCLC.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000782:Aneuploidy; D000818:Animals; D002453:Cell Cycle; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis*; D004171:Diploidy; D004351:Drug Resistance; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D008875:Middle Aged; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D004273:DNA, Neoplasm