A study of the DNA content of cancer cell nuclei at the time of radiation therapy

Radiation is very effective in the treatment of cervical cancer, but there are some patients who are less responsive to radiation, and responsivensss to radiation is still a clinically important problem to be solved in the future. In this study I have measured changes of the DNA content of cancer cell nuclei induced by radiation therapy in 26 patients with cervical cancer (squamous epithelial cancer) and have made histological investigation of the cancer at the same time in order to examine morphological judgment of the therapeutic effect of radiation not only from quantitative viewpoint of morphological changes but also from qualitative viewpoint of changes in cell nuclei. From the result of the present study it is seen that among the histological methods for judgment of the effect of radiation therapy, Oboshi and Shimozato's classification is a method hitherto in use, nearly agree with the result of the investigation of the DNA content hitherto in use and the classification of histological response nearly agrees with the judgment by DNA content of responsive grade, that is, evaluation by the former could be proved by the latter. However, we hold an opinion different from theirs as to the response grade GIII. When a patient is graded GIII, gualitative examination of the DNA content of nuclei is considered to be inevitable in order to confirm the non-viability of the cancer cells. (author)