Correlation between automated karyometric measurements of squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus and histopathologic and clinical features

• Published in: Cancer Vol. 64; no. 1; pp. 83 - 87
• Main Authors: Stephens, Janet K., Bibbo, Marluce, Dytch, Harvey, Maiorana, Alfonso, Ruol, Alberto, Little, Alex G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 01.07.1989
• Subjects: Aneuploidy; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - mortality; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - pathology; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - secondary; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - ultrastructure; Cell Nucleus - pathology; Esophageal Neoplasms - mortality; Esophageal Neoplasms - pathology; Esophageal Neoplasms - ultrastructure; Humans; Lymphatic Metastasis; Neoplasm Invasiveness; Neoplasm Staging; Prognosis
• ISSN: 0008-543X; 1097-0142
• DOI: 10.1002/1097-0142(19890701)64:1<83::AID-CNCR2820640115>3.0.CO;2-M

The clinical staging of esophageal carcinoma is unreliable currently, making it difficult to select patients for aggressive therapy. To further refine staging criteria, the nuclear characteristics of a series of 31 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus were studied using a computerized image analysis system (MicroTICAS). Karyometric measurements, including total nuclear DNA content, nuclear area, and nuclear roundness were compared with various clinical and histologic variables. Nearly all tumors (30 of 31) were aneuploid. Tumors with nuclear areas greater than 70 μm2 were associated with transmural esophageal penetration (P < 0.05) and to a lesser extent with poor survival (less than 6 months; P = 0.06). Surprisingly, nuclear ploidy did not correlate with either variable. These data support a role for nuclear analysis on preoperative biopsy specimens as an adjunct in clinical staging.