17 - Prognostic value of flow-cytometric DNAanalysis in breast cancer
Rivista: Riv Med Lab - JLM, Vol. 2, N. 4, 2001 (SIRSE Srl ed.)
V. Petrozza, F. Verna, L. Lenti, F. Carpino
Background. Prognosis of breast cancer is mostly dependent on the biological aggressiveness of the
neoplasia. New parameters, including DNA content and cellular cycle of neoplastic cells, are now
routinely used to assess malignancy. In this work we have studied the clinical value of flow-cytometric
DNA ploidy analysis. Particular attention has been addressed towards establishing if these values
give additional information to that of histological examination.
Methods. Patients who underwent surgical treatment for primary breast cancer have been selected. At
present, all of them are still living, no one has long-distance metastases and all are free of tumor relapses.
Thin sections were tested, after staining, by a Coulter Epics Profile flow cytometer. DNA-index (DI)
was assumed to be 1.0 if only a single G0/1 peak was evident. When a second peak was clearly identified
(more than 10%), this was considered as an indicator of clonal abnormality of the DNA content.
The slides were also examined to define the stage of the neoplasia. Grading was made by evaluation
of tubular growth, nuclear polymorphy and number of mitosis. Cell cycles, DI and coefficent of variation
G0-G1 peak were compared.
Results. A significant relationship among histological stage, S-phase fraction (SPF) and ploidy was
observed.
In accord to the survival rate, nodule size and SPF determine 3 classes of infiltrating ductal carcinoma
with negative axillary lymph nodes. Our twenty cases show a correlation between DNA ploidy and histological
stage. In fact there are no aneuploid tumors in stage I group, all cases of stage III and most
of stage II are aneuploid. We did not find a correlation with survival.