Preoperative prediction of nodal state in gastric cancer by nuclear DNA content.

To see if there was an association between the number of lymph node metastases and the macroscopic findings of the tumour (such as size, location, and gross appearance), the nuclear DNA content was cytophotometrically analysed in biopsy specimens taken at preoperative endoscopy from 84 cases of gastric cancer. The DNA ploidy patterns were classified into type D, type A1, and type A2, according to the stem lines and the degree of scatter of the cells. Lymph nodes were positive in 2 of 20 (10%) in type D and 10 of 30 (33%) in type A1; these were both significantly lower than that in type A2 (24 of 34, 71%). Knowing the degree of nodes metastases or the microscopic lymphatic spread before the operation is almost impossible at present; the nuclear DNA content is closely associated with metastatic content of the nodes, so the cytophotometric determination of the DNA ploidy patterns from biopsy specimens may be useful in predicting the nodal state.