Nucleolar organizer regions related to morphometry, flow cytometry, sex steroid receptor content, tumour histology and prognosis in female breast cancer.
Nuclear organizer regions (Ag-NORs) were visualized and enumerated in biopsy specimens from 158 breast carcinomas and the results were correlated with clinical, histological, quantitative prognostic factors and survival. The number of Ag-NORs was related significantly to histological type (p = 0.003), tubule formation (p = 0.013), histological grade (p < 0.001), mean nuclear area (p < 0.001), SD of nuclear area (p < 0.001), DNA ploidy (p < 0.001), S phase fraction (p = 0.001), mitotic index (p < 0.001), estrogen receptor content (p < 0.001) and progesterone receptor content (p < 0.001). Ag-NORs were independent of tumour size and axillary lymph node status. Neither in the entire cohort (p = 0.16) nor in axillary lymph node negative tumours (p = 0.11) was the number of Ag-NORs related to survival although a clear trend was observed between lowered survival probability and high Ag-NOR count. In multivariate analysis Ag-NORs had no independent prognostic value. The results confirm previous results in that Ag-NORs have no practical prognostic value over already established prognostic factors in breast cancer.
Aaltomaa
S
S
Department of Surgery, University of Kuopio, Finland.
Lipponen
P
P
Syrjänen
K
K
D001706:Biopsy; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009697:Nucleolus Organizer Region / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D011379:Prognosis; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism*
D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone