title: Near-diploid hyperploidy in early breast cancer (T1a,b) is associated with higher risk of lymph node involvement.
abstract: Due to the worldwide implementation of the mammographic screening program early breast cancer (T1a,b) has become more prevalent form of breast cancer. Although T1a,b breast cancers are generally associated with excellent prognosis, some of them, particularly those with lymph node involvement, has unfavourable outcome. Searching for additional prognostic factors, we investigated DNA content of 163 T1a,b cancers measured by DNA flow cytometry, and correlated it with regional lymph node status. T1a,b cancers were divided into four ploidy classes based on their DNA index (DI): hypodiploid (DI < 0.95), diploid (DI 0.95-1.05), low-hyperploid (DI 1.06-1.3), and high-hyperploid (DI > 1.3). Diploid T1a,b cancers were associated with negative lymph node status (p = 0.003). Among aneuploid cancers only low-hyperploid tumors were associated with positive lymph node status (p = 0.03). The histopathological features of low-hyperploid group of T1a,b cancers did not differ from the other three ploidy groups of cancers, except for lower S-phase fraction of tumor cells in low-hyperploid group compared to high-hyperploid group (p = 0.01). Our data showed that near-diploid hyperploid T1a,b cancers are associated with higher risk of lymph node involvement despite similar clinicopathological features shared with other ploidy classes of T1a,b tumors.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, Forensic Medicine and Cytology, Clinical Hospital Center Split, Spinčićeva 1, 21 000 Split, Croatia. jbezic@mefst.hr
authors.forename: Joško
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bezić
authors.forename: Ivana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Samija-Projić
authors.forename: Petar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Projić
authors.forename: Jelena
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ljubković
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tomaš-Zekić
authors.forename: Maja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marinović-Guić
authors.forename: Snježana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tomić
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011003:Ploidies
chemical_list: D004273:DNA, Neoplasm