Growth mode and DNA ploidy in mucosal carcinomas of the stomach.

Modes of cancer growth and DNA ploidy were studied in 66 patients with mucosal carcinoma of the stomach. The modes of growth were classified into five histologic patterns; elongated tubular (three patients), expansive (18 patients), tubular and solid (14 patients), carcinoma in situ (10 patients) and infiltrative (21 patients). In every patient, all or most lesions with elongated tubular, expansive, and carcinoma in situ growths were located in the pyloric gland area of the stomach, and were less than 4 cm in diameter. Histologically, the adenocarcinomas papillary or well-, or moderately differentiated. Most lesions with an infiltrative growth were located in the intermediate pyloric and fundic glands areas, depressed in gross appearance, and composed of poorly differentiated glandular or signet ring tumor cells. The lesions with a tubular and solid growth were present in the pyloric gland or intermediate area, and were classified as well-, moderately, or poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. All lesions with an elongated tubular, tubular and solid, and carcinoma in situ growths, and most lesions with an infiltrative growth showed a narrowly restricted DNA distribution (Type I or II), while most lesions with an expansive growth had mostly a widely scattered DNA distribution (Type III), representing a higher malignant potential.