ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Except hormonal agents and biologic response modifier, the biologic effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy as anti-cancer therapy have the mechanism of DNA injury. They cause not only cancer cell necrosis, but also infertility, bone marrow suppression, secondary malignancy, and individual death. There are many reports to human genome or chromosomal injuries by radiation but few by chemotherapy. Therefore this study is designed for systemic evaluation of the frequency of chromosomal damage by chemotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed evaluation of chromosomal aberration, sister chromatid exchange, and mitotic index were examined in 3 patient with NSCLC. Two of them were stage IIIb and the other one was stage IV. Venous blood was taken from patients before chemotherapy and one day after last administration of combination chemotherapy. Microscopic examination for chromosomal aberration, chromatid aberration, and SCEs was done after cell culture and FPG stain. RESULTS: The incidence of chromatid break was 3 before chemotherapy and 26 after chemotherapy. The incidence of SCEs was 9.85 1.93 before chemotherapy and 40.47 7.12 after chemotherapy. CONCLUSION: Incidence of chromatid break and SCEs increased after combination chemotherapy.