Prognostic implications of nuclear DNA content in head and neck cancer.

The nuclear DNA content was measured in formalin-fixed and deparaffined specimens of 296 oral, pharyngeal, and laryngeal squamous cell carcinomas from patients in whom the clinical outcome was known. One hundred ninety (64%) contained cells with abnormal DNA (DNA aneuploid or tetra/polypoid). Only 32% (60 of 190) of the patients with DNA nondiploid cancers survived 5 years, compared with 49% (52 of 106) of the patients with DNA diploid cancers. When the findings were controlled for clinical stage, patients whose tumors were DNA diploid had a survival advantage at each stage. Histologic grading showed less correlation, because only patients with well-differentiated carcinomas had a survival advantage if their tumors were DNA diploid. These data showed that determination of DNA content in cancers of the head and neck can offer prognostic information not provided by other means and enhance the diagnosis of cancer.