title: DNA ploidy and S-phase in primary malignant melanoma as prognostic factors for stage III disease.
abstract: In 82 patients with stage III malignant melanoma, the primary tumours were investigated by DNA flow cytometry. The tumours were classified as DNA diploid (n = 36), tetraploid (n = 11) and aneuploid (n = 35). By univariate analysis a significant correlation with post-recurrence survival was found for time to first metastasis, DNA-ploidy and S-phase fraction. By multivariate analysis, significant prognostic variables were found to be the time to first metastasis (P = 0.006), and ploidy (P = 0.011). Patients with diploid melanomas and a long recurrence-free interval had a median post-recurrence survival time of 45 months compared to 18 months in patients with DNA aneuploid tumours and an early recurrence. The S-phase could be estimated in 47 primary melanomas and was found to be a significant prognostic variable (P = 0.017). The median survival was 45 months for patients with melanomas with a S-phase fraction below 5%, and 19 months for melanomas with S-phase above 10%. The prognostic value of the S-phase remained significant even after adjustment for recurrence-free interval and DNA ploidy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, University Hospital, Linköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karlsson
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Boeryd
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Carstensen
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kågedal
authors.forename: A T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Bratel
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wingren
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000782:Aneuploidy; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics*; D004171:Diploidy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011003:Ploidies; D011379:Prognosis; D016196:S Phase / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D004273:DNA, Neoplasm