Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-p9bg8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T15:08:45.047Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Mean nuclear area and chromosomal DNA content of squamous cell carcinomas of the oral cavity using computerized image analysis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 June 2007

S. K. Sarker*
Affiliation:
Department of Cytopathology, CytogeneticsSt Mary's Hospital Medical School, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, University of London, London, UK. Department of Cytopathology, Academic SurgerySt Mary's Hospital Medical School, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, University of London, London, UK. Department of CytopathologyHead and Neck Unit, St Mary's Hospital Medical School, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, University of London, London, UK.
K. S. Patel
Affiliation:
Department of CytopathologyHead and Neck Unit, St Mary's Hospital Medical School, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, University of London, London, UK.
*
Address for communication: S. K. Sarker, Cytopathology and Cytogenetics Unit, Clarence wing, St Mary's Hospital Medical School, Praed Street, London W2 1NY.

Abstract

Morphometric measurements of nuclei may be of prognostic value in some cancers. In this present study we have evaluated the mean nuclear area (MNA) of 50 squamous cell carcinomas of the oral cavity (SCCOC) using computerized image analysis. Since chromosomal DNA content is a reflection of the DNA content in the nucleus, we have evaluated the relationship between MNA and chromosomal DNA. Thirteen tumours had a MNA greater than 49.9 μm2 and 37 had a MNA less than this. Six tumours were classified as hypodiploid, 29 as diploid and 15 as aneuploid. There were 44 node-negative patients and six node-positive. When comparing MNA in these groups, 50 per cent of node-positive patients had a larger MNA whilst only 20 per cent of the node-negative group had a large MNA. The correlation coefficient between MNA and DNA indices was r = 0.75. The greater nuclear size is possibly a reflection of a more aggressive tumour biology in the node-positive patients. We conclude that a large MNA may be a marker of aggressive tumour biology in this group. In the future, we aim to evaluate the prognostic significance of MNA in patients with SCCOC.

Type
Main Articles
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 1997

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Baak, J. P. A., Kurver, P. H. J., de Graaf, S., Boon, M. E. (1981) Morphometry for the prognosis prediction in breast cancer. Lancet ii: 315.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baak, J. P. A., Kurver, P. H. J., Snoo-Nieuwlaat, A. J. E., de Graaf, S., Makkink, B., Boon, M. E. (1982) Prognostic indicators in breast cancer - morphometric methods. Histopathology 6: 327339.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bacus, J. W., Grace, L. J. (1987) Optical microscope system for standardised cell measurements and analysis. Applied Optics 26: 32803293.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boecking, A., Auffermann, W., Vogel, H., Scholoendorff, G., Goebbels, R. (1985) Diagnosis and grading of malignancy in squamous epithelial lesions of the larynx with DNA cytophotometry. Cancer 56: 16001604.3.0.CO;2-T>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carter, C. D., Weeks, S. C., Jarvis, L. R., Whitehead, R. (1989) Morphometric analysis of nuclear features, ploidy status, and staging in rectal carcinoma. Journal of Pathology 159: 113120.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chen, R. B. (1990) Flow cytometric analysis of benign and malignant tumours of the oral and maxillofacial region. Journal of Oral Maxillofacthl Surgery 47: 596606.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Deitch, A. (1966) Cytophotometry of nucleic acids. In Introduction to Quantitative Cytochemistry. (Weid, G. L., ed.) Academic Press: London. pp 327354.Google Scholar
Donofrio, V., Lo Muzio, L., Mignogna, M. D., Trocone, G., Staiboro, S., Bascaino, A., De Rosa, G. (1995) Prognostic evaluation of HPV-associated precancerous and microinvasive carcinoma of the oral cavity: combined use of nucleolar organiser regions (AgNOR) and PCNA. European Journal of Cancer Part B Oral Oncology 31(B): 174180.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Frank, J. L., Bur, M. E., Garb, J. L., Kay, S., Ware, J. L., Sismans, A., Neifield, J. P. (1994) p53 tumour suppressor expression in squamous cell carcinomas of the hypopharynx. Cancer 73(1): 181186.3.0.CO;2-3>CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Goldsmith, M. M., Cresson, D. H., Arnold, L. A., Postma, D. S., Askin, F. B., Pillsbury, H. C. (1987) DNA flow cytometry as a prognostic indicator in head and neck cancer. Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery 96: 307318.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gunzl, H. J., Horn, H., Schuke, R., Donath, K. (1993) Prognostic value of PCNA and cytokeratins for radiation therapy of oral squamous cell carcinomas. European Journal of Cancer Part B Oral Oncology 29 (B): 141145.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Guo, Y. C., Desanto, L., Osetinsky, G. V. (1989) Prognostic implications of nuclear DNA content in head and neck cancer. Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery 100: 9598.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Holm, L. (1982) Cellular DNA amounts of squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck region in relation to prognosis. Laryngoscope 92: 10641069.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jones, A. S., Roland, N. J., Caslin, A. W., Cooke, T. G., Cooke, L. D., Forster, G. (1994) A comparison of cellular proliferation markers in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Journal of Laryngology and Otology 108: 859867.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kearsley, J. H., Bryson, G., Battistutta, D., Collins, R. J. (1991) Prognostic importance of cellular DNA content in head and neck squamous cell cancers. A comparison of retrospective and prospective series. International Journal of Cancer 47: 3137.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kokal, W. A., Gardine, R. L., Sheibani, K., Zak, I., Beatty, D., Riihimaki, D. U., Wagman, L. D., Terz, J. J. (1988) Tumour DNA content as a prognostic indicator in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck region. American Journal of Surgery 156: 276280.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ladekarl, M. (1995) Quantitative histopathology in ductal carcinoma of the breast. Prognostic value of mean nuclear size and mitotic counts. Cancer 75 (8): 21142222.3.0.CO;2-W>CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lampe, H. B., Flint, A., Wolf, G. T., McClatchey, K. D. (1987) Flow cytometry: DNA analysis of squamous cell carcinomas of the upper aerodigestive tract. Journal of Otolaryngology 16: 371376.Google Scholar
Mayall, B. H. (1988) Current capabilities and clinical applications of image cytometry. Cytometry 3 (Suppl): 7884.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nylander, K., Stenling, R., Gustofsson, H., Zackrisson, B., Roo, G. (1995) p53 expression and cell proliferation in squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck. Cancer 75 (1): 8793.3.0.CO;2-V>CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Salam, M. A., Croder, J., Morris, A. (1995) Overexpression of tumour suppressor gene p53 in laryngeal squamous cell carcinomas and its prognostic significance. Clinical Otolaryngology 20 (1): 4952.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sandwritter, W., Carl, M., Ritter, W. (1966) Cytomorphometric measurements of the DNA content of human malignant tumors by means of the Feulgen reaction. Acta Cytology (Baltimore) 10: 2630.Google Scholar
Shintani, S., Yoshitam, Y., Emilio, A. R., Matsumura, T. (1995) Overexpression of p53 is an early event in the tumorigenesis of oral squamous cell carcinomas. Anticancer Research 15 (2): 305308.Google ScholarPubMed
Sickle-Santanello, B. J., Farrar, W. B., Dobson, J. B., O'Toole, R. V., Keyhani-Rofagha, S. (1986) Flow cytometric analysis of DNA content as a prognostic indicator in squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue. American Journal of Surgery 152: 393395.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stell, P. M. (1991) Ploidy in head and neck cancer: a review and meta-analysis. Clinical Otolaryngology 16: 510516.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stenkvist, B., Bengtsson, E., Dahlqvist, B., Ekland, G., Eriksson, O., Jarkrans, T., Norden, B. (1982) Predicting breast cancer recurrence. Cancer 50: 28842893.3.0.CO;2-K>CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tsuji, T., Sasaki, K., Kinura, Y., Yamada, K., Moir, M., Shinozaki, S. (1992) Measurement of PCNA and its clinical applications in oral cancers. International Journal of Oral-Maxillofacial Surgery 21 (6): 367372.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tytor, M., Franzen, G., Olofsson, J. (1989) DNA ploidy in oral cavity carcinomas with special reference to prognosis. Head and Neck 11: 257263.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Valute, G., Orecchia Gandolfo, S., Arnordo, M., Ragana, R., Kerim, S., Palestro, G. (1994) Can Ki-67 immunostaining predict response to radiotherapy in oral squamous cell carcinoma? Journal of Clinical Pathology 47 (2): 109112.Google Scholar
Wekoborsky, H. J., Hinni, M., Dienes, H. P., Man, W. J. (1995) Predicting recurrence and survival in patients with laryngeal cancer by means of DNA cytometry, tumour front grading, and proliferation markers. Annals of Otology, Rhinology and Laryngology 104 (7): 503510.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Westerbeek, H. A., Mooi, W. J., Hilgers, F. J. M., Baris, G., Begg, A. C., Balm, A. J. M. (1993) Ploidy status and the response of T1 glottic carcinoma to radiotherapy. Clinical Otolaryngology 18: 98101.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Woolf, N. (1986) Cell, Tissue and Disease. Bailliere Tindall, London p 368.Google Scholar
Zajdela, A., Saravia de la Riva, L., Ghossen, N. V. (1979) The relation of prognosis to the nuclear diameter of breast cancer cells obtained by cytologic aspiration. Acta Cytologica 23: 7580.Google Scholar