Thymidine labeling index in epithelial ovarian cancer.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study is to determine the thymidine labeling index and its prognostic role in patients with ovarian cancer.


METHODS
Tumor cell proliferation in 32 patients with primary ovarian cancer admitted to Istanbul Medical Faculty, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, between 1993 and 1997 was investigated using the [3H]thymidine labeling index (TLI). TLI results were compared with other clinical and histopathologic prognostic parameters.


RESULTS
The mean and median TLI values of the patients were 9.3+/-6.2% and 9.20% (range: 0.4-23.0%), respectively. Sixteen patients showed high proliferation rates (mean TLI: 14.3%). These patients had an overall survival rate of 46.7% at 3 years. The mean TLI level and overall survival at 3 years in the low proliferation rate group were 4.4 and 68.8%, respectively. Patients with a high TLI had a significantly shorter survival compared to those with a low TLI (P<0.01). There was tendency towards a higher TLI with advanced stage (P>0.05). However, there was no statistically significant correlation between TLI and other prognostic parameters.


CONCLUSIONS
TLI may have a predictive value in determining the outcome of patients with ovarian cancer. Further larger scale studies are needed before definite conclusions can be made about its role as a prognostic factor in this disease.
Salihoglu
Y
Y
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.
Bilir
A
A
Aydiner
A
A
Erkan
M
M
Tuzlali
S
S
Eralp
Y
Y
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D013936:Thymidine
D013936:Thymidine