Retrospective DNA analysis by rapid high resolution cytometry in cases with cervical cancer before and after radiotherapy.

DNA analyses of nuclei of squamous cells on 86 cases with squamous cells carcinoma of the uterine cervix, who had been treated with radiotherapy, were studied in 95 specimens. Forty-three specimens taken from invasive cancer cases before radiotherapy and 52 smears taken from the patients with cervical cancer after radiotherapy were examined by rapid high-resolution cytometry. The biologic behavior in this retrospective study was known, and the cases were classified into "poor" and "good" prognostic groups depending on their five year survival rates. In the poor prognostic group, the smears taken prior to radiotherapy showed a significantly lower 5N-exceeding rate (5NER) and a smaller Nuclear area than did those of the good prognostic group. The smears taken from the cases of recurrent cancer and postradiation dysplasia with poor prognosis showed significantly lower 5NER and a smaller Nuclear area than did those from cases of postradiation dysplasia and radiation changes in patients with a good prognosis after radiotherapy.