title: Role of cell kinetics from rectal scrapings in predicting risk of colorectal cancer.
abstract: It has been suggested that cells obtained from scrapings of rectal mucosa can be readily analysed by flow cytometry for DNA content. Aneuploidy, if detected in these cells, will indicate a field change in the rectal mucosa. If so, this could provide a convenient means of selective screening for colorectal cancer. Rectal scrapings were obtained and analysed from 90 patients (23 patients with cancer, 13 patients in whom the cancer had been resected, 21 patients with benign adenoma and 33 patients with normal colorectum). Only 1 normal patient, 3 cancer patients and 1 resected patient showed aneuploidy, the rest were diploid. S-phase analysis showed the highest S-phase (18.0%) in the adenoma group and lowest (12.7%) in the normal group. The difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.06). S-phase was significantly higher among normal males (16.3%) than normal females (9.2%) (P = 0.008). In the adenoma group, however, the females showed a slightly higher S-phase (18.4%) than the males (17.8%), suggesting that S-phase measurement may be important in the study of carcinogenesis. In conclusion, aneuploidy in cells obtained from rectal scrapings is not a useful marker for increased risk of colorectal cancer as it was found in only 13% of the cancer patients. S-phase studies show more promise and need to be more extensively studied.
authors.affiliation: Department of Colorectal Surgery, Singapore General Hospital.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vijayan
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Goh
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D000782:Aneuploidy; D002453:Cell Cycle; D003111:Colonic Polyps / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D012007:Rectum / Q000473:pathology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D016196:S Phase; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D004273:DNA, Neoplasm