Prognostic significance of DNA patterns and resistance‐predictive tests in non‐small cell lung carcinoma

In a cooperative study, 240 surgical specimens of patients with non‐small cell lung carcinomas (NSCLC) were investigated by means of flow cytometry, xenotransplantation to athymic mice and, an in vitro short‐term test for predicting resistance. Aneuploidy was found in 83% of the tumors, and 20% showed more than one aneuploid DNA stemline. Patients with both aneuploid tumors and tumors with more than one DNA stemline had a significantly shorter survival rate than those with only diploid or only one DNA stemline. Patients whose tumors showed a low G0/G1‐cell proportion or a high proliferation pool (S and G2/M‐cell proportion) died earlier. A relationship could not be discerned between growth of tumors in nude mice or establishment of cell lines and the prognosis for the patients. Patients with in vitro‐resistant tumors died earlier under chemotherapy than those with in vitro‐sensitive tumors. Patients treated by radiation survived longer if the tumors were resistant in vitro. Thus, DNA patterns and in vitro short‐term tests for predicting resistance represent useful tools for prognostic evaluation of patients with NSCLC.