Flow-cytometric analysis of deoxyribonucleic acid content in advanced ovarian carcinoma: its importance in long-term survival.
OBJECTIVE
Our purpose was to evaluate the importance of deoxyribonucleic acid content to long-term survival from advanced epithelial ovarian carcinoma.


METHODS
Clinical and pathologic prognostic factors, including deoxyribonucleic acid content measured by means of flow cytometry, were analyzed for 282 patients.


RESULTS
In 80% of the patients, the deoxyribonucleic acid patterns were nondiploid. In univariate analysis stage (p < 0.0001), residual disease (p < 0.0001), deoxyribonucleic acid index (p = 0.01), and deoxyribonucleic acid ploidy (p = 0.02) significantly predicted progression-free survival. In multivariate analysis stage (p < 0.001), residual tumor (p = 0.001), deoxyribonucleic acid ploidy (p = 0.02), and deoxyribonucleic acid index (p = 0.02) retained independent prognostic value. Residual disease and deoxyribonucleic acid content retained independent prognostic value for stage III tumors but not for stage IV tumors.


CONCLUSIONS
Deoxyribonucleic acid analysis with flow cytometry provides prognostic information about long-term progression-free survival from advanced ovarian carcinoma and should be considered in the stratification processes of patients in future clinical trials. This prognostic information appears to be inversely related to tumor burden.
Zanetta
G
G
Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
Keeney
G L
GL
Cha
S S
SS
Farr
G H
GH
Katzmann
J A
JA
Wieand
H S
HS
Edmonson
J H
JH
Podratz
K C
KC
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D011003:Ploidies; D017741:Survivors
D004273:DNA, Neoplasm