DNA ploidy in small cell carcinoma of the lung.

Fluorometric single cell DNA analysis was performed on 123 tumour samples from 33 patients who had died of small cell carcinoma of the lung (SCCL). In 36% (12 patients) the modal DNA profile was hypodiploid or near diploid and the median survival time was 16.3 months, as opposed to 9.5 months for the 21 patients with hyperdiploid DNA profile, who also seemed to have a lower response rate to chemotherapy. It is suggested that an estimation of the modal DNA ploidy before the start of the treatment in SCCL might be used as a cellular parameter to obtain more comparable treatment study groups and for the prediction of survival.