Ploidy status using flow cytometry of head and neck cancers may be of prognostic value. We describe the use of image cytometry in ploidy measurement of squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck (SCCHN). This technique allows only tumour cells to be measured, thereby rejecting debris, artefact and benign cells. Tissue sections were cut from tumours and then Feulgen stained. A total of 60 patients were included in this study, 23 females and 37 males. The data reveals a relationship between ploidy status and the histological differentiation. However, the ploidy status and histological differentiation do not appear to correlate to the clinical stage of the disease. This method of measuring ploidy may be more accurate than flow cytometry and may have a prognostic role in head and neck cancer patients. A study comparing both methods may demonstrate this and we aim to evaluate this in the future.

Ploidy status of squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck (SCCHN) from primary and recurrent tonsillar and tongue lesions has not been compared using image cytometry. We have measured and compared the DNA indices in 41 cases. There were 29 tongue SCCHN, 20/29 were primary and 9/29 were recurrent. Mean DNA index (DI) was 1.19 (range 0.70–1.81) and 1.28 (range 0.79–1.94) respectively. There were 12 tonsillar cases, 10/12 primary and two out of 12 recurrent. Mean DI was 0.84 (range 0.57–1.09) and 1.00 (range 0.98–1.02) respectively. Mean DNA indices of both primary carcinomas were lower than the mean DNA indices of the recurrent carcinomas. This difference between the two groups may be a reflection of their tumour biology. However, since our study is small no definite conclusions can be made at this stage. We aim in the future to evaluate the prognostic role of DNA indices of patients with paired primary and recurrent SCCHN. This may be of clinical value and improve the treatment modalities available to this group.