A comparison of flow cytometric and absorption cytometric DNA values as prognostic indicators for pancreatic carcinoma.
BACKGROUND
The DNA content of 30 adenocarcinomas of the head of the pancreas was measured by flow and absorption cytometric analysis.


METHODS
Each of the patients in this study had curative pancreatoduodenectomy. The absorption cytometric measurements were done in a research laboratory, and the flow cytometric measurements were performed in a commercial laboratory. The DNA measurements were done on nuclei disaggregated from pancreatic cancer tissue blocks without the examiner knowing whether the patient had survived.


RESULTS
Twenty-one of the 30 cancers were found to be aneuploid by absorption cytometric analysis, whereas only 1 of the 30 cancers was aneuploid by flow cytometric analysis. This difference was statistically significant (P < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that the absorption cytometric DNA measurements were stronger prognostic determinants for patient survival than were the flow cytometric DNA measurements, indicating that some caution may be warranted in the interpretation of commercially obtained DNA distributions of pancreatic carcinomas.
Bose
K K
KK
Department of Surgery, Medical College of Ohio, Toledo 43699-0008.
Allison
D C
DC
Hruban
R H
RH
Piantadosi
S
S
Zahurak
M
M
Dooley
W C
WC
Lin
P
P
Cameron
J L
JL
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000782:Aneuploidy; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000502:physiology; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D004171:Diploidy; D005434:Flow Cytometry / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000601:surgery; D011379:Prognosis
D004273:DNA, Neoplasm