Malignant potentiality of squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus predictable by DNA analysis.

Cell nuclear deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) content was microspectrophotometrically determined in biopsy specimens from 75 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus. The relationships among DNA distribution patterns, pathohistologic features, and prognosis were investigated. In patients with a high hyperploid DNA content (type IV), there was a high frequency of lymph node metastasis and lymphatic invasion, as compared with those exhibiting the near diploid DNA content (type II). In the type IV group, 22 of 23 patients died within 2 years, whereas patients with type II had a good clinical course and the 5-year survival rate was 60%. The DNA distribution pattern, determined by a multivariate Cox model analysis, was one of independent and significant prognostic variables. As these findings suggest that the DNA distribution pattern reflects the malignant potentiality of the tumor, the preoperative determinations of the DNA pattern in biopsy specimens of the esophageal carcinoma should provide a valuable parameter for predicting the prognosis.