title: Is DNA ploidy an independent prognostic indicator in infiltrative node-negative breast adenocarcinoma?
abstract: To evaluate DNA content as an independent, long-term prognostic indicator in infiltrative, node-negative adenocarcinoma of the breast, flow cytometric DNA analyses were performed retrospectively in 165 patients. The exclusive use of paraffin-embedded tissue permitted the study of patients for whom 3 to 15 years' follow-up was available. Other investigators have shown a relationship between DNA nuclear content and well-known prognostic indicators of breast carcinoma, such as estrogen receptors, age, menopausal status, and stage of tumor. However, very few of these studies were based on patients with long-term clinical follow-up and investigated the independent prognostic value of DNA nuclear content. The frequency of aneuploidy in the patients in this study was 57%, with DNA indices ranging from 0.73 to 2.59. Survival in patients with localized breast carcinoma with DNA aneuploid tumors was 84.1% at 5 years and 75.5% at 10 years. Those with diploid tumors showed survival of 87.8% at 5 years and 73.4% at 10 years. These data show no independent prognostic value for DNA nuclear content. The relationship between DNA content, tumor histologic type, and age was also investigated. High-grade tumors were more often aneuploid. There was no association between DNA content and age. Of 165 patients, information regarding estrogen receptor status was available in only 77; 45% of those with aneuploid tumors and 35% with diploid tumors were estrogen receptor-negative. This difference was not significant. The authors conclude that simple determination of DNA ploidy fails to indicate prognosis for infiltrative, node-negative breast carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Keyhani-Rofagha
authors.forename: R V
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: O'Toole
authors.forename: W B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Farrar
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sickle-Santanello
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: DeCenzo
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Young
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011003:Ploidies; D011379:Prognosis; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen