[Comparative histo- and cytospectrophotometric study of the DNA content in the nuclei of lung cancer cells].

Histo- and cytospectrophotometric examinations of the lung carcinoma (26 observations, operation material) established that such features as hetero- and polyploidy, a considerable increase in the average content of DNA and "index of DNA accumulation" progressed as long as the degree of tumour differentiation decreased. Differences between poorly differentiated forms of squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma were found (the latter had more octoploid and other polyploid cells, higher values of the "index of DNA accumulation" and a significantly higher average DNA content in the nuclei than in squamous cell carcinoma) as well as between small- and large-cell variants of undifferentiated cancer (the latter had more octoploid and other polyploid cells, higher "index of DNA accumulation" and significantly higher average DNA content in the nuclei than in undifferentiated small-cell carcinoma). The cytospectrophotometric method for DNA determination may be used as an auxilliary test for the determination of the histological form, the degree of differentiation of lung carcinoma prognosis, and choice of the method of treatment.