Intratumoral heterogeneity of DNA content in lung adenocarcinoma

Quantitative microspectrophotometry was performed in 10 resected lung adenocarcinomas for the purpose of studying intratumoral heterogeneity of DNA content. Histologically, there were 3 stage I, 2 stage IIIA, 2 stage IIIB, and 3 stage IV cases, consisting of 3 well, 4 moderately and 3 poorly differentiated cases. The tumors were cut at the greatest dimension and fine needle aspirations were performed from 5 separate areas (central, cranial, caudal, inward, and outward). One of the imprint smears was submitted for cytology and the other for microspectrophotometry using Feulgen staining. Although G0G1 and G2M phase cell populations varied in each specimen, all 5 specimens showed the same DNA histogram in 9 cases. These were 4 aneuploid, 4 polyploid (euploid but not diploid) and only one diploid tumor. Two stem lines were observed in the remaining single case. One of 5 specimens showed aneuploid, the other 4 specimens showed polyploid. Namely, intratumoral heterogeneity was observed in one case. Ther was no relationship between intratumoral heterogeneity tumor size or differentiation. Most lung adenocarcinomas showed DNA stability. Fine needle aspiration specimens obtained from one area of lung adenocarcinoma represent the DNA contents of the entire tumor.