title: The role of DNA flow cytometry in borderline malignant ovarian tumors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The role of flow cytometric DNA analysis in predicting prognosis of patients with borderline malignant ovarian tumors has been controversial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty cases of patients with borderline malignant ovarian tumors were analyzed by histology and by flow cytometry on paraffin embedded tissue. Multiple tissue blocks and serial sections were analyzed for each tumor. The results of DNA analysis were correlated to clinicopathologic data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  DNA aneuploidy was demonstrable in 4 cases (8%) when the most atypical section was analyzed. The overall rate of aneuploidy was 14% if additional blocks and serial sections were studied. Two patients died from tumor. One of the two patients had an initial diagnosis of Stage IIc mucinous borderline tumor with DNA indices (DI) of 1.12, 1.42, and 2.04. She had a recurrence in the contralateral ovary 1 year later (DI = 1.83), and a second frankly malignant recurrence diffusely in peritoneum (DI = 1.89). The other patient had an initial diagnosis of Stage IIIc mucinous borderline ovarian tumor with pseudomyxoma peritonei. DNA diploidy was obtained in all of the samples from the primary tumor. An aneuploid peak (DI = 1.28) was demonstrated in only one serial section of the peritoneal implants. Of the other 5 patients who had aneuploid histograms but were disease-free, the DNA indices were 1.35, 1.14/1.18, 1.15, 1.20, and 1.31 and were demonstrable only in either 1 or 2 of the blocks or unproven on serial sections. All patients with diploid-peridiploid tumors were alive and disease free.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Reproducible DNA aneuploidy of high DI may be predicting a poor outcome, whereas the significance of inconsistently reproducible aneuploidy of low DI remains to be determined. Further studies of prospective DNA analysis with adequate sampling are necessary to define the role of flow cytometry in patients with borderline malignant ovarian tumors.
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan.
authors: C H
authors: CH
authors: Lai
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Hsueh
authors: T C
authors: TC
authors: Chang
authors: C J
authors: CJ
authors: Tseng
authors: K G
authors: KG
authors: Huang
authors: H H
authors: HH
authors: Chou
authors: S M
authors: SM
authors: Chen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000782:Aneuploidy; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D004273:DNA, Neoplasm