Impact of tumor cell kinetics on the outcome of induction chemotherapy in oral carcinoma patients.

Pretherapeutic S-phase fractions of 68 carcinomas of the tongue and the floor of mouth were analysed by DNA flow cytometry immediately before intra-arterial induction chemotherapy with cisplatin and epirubicin or 5-fluorouracil. Patients with diploid tumors had an excellent 5-year survival rate of 89% in contrast to only 31% in the aneuploid group. Cell proliferation had no impact on the outcome of diploid cases. Node-positive patients with aneuploid tumors had a poor 18% 5-year survival rate, independent of S-phase fractions. Survival was significantly worse in nodenegative patients with high proliferating aneuploid tumors (45%) compared to the low-proliferative N-0 group (83%).