title: DNA index as a strong prognostic factor in patients with adenocarcinoma of the pancreatic head: results of a 5-year prospective study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To improve the devastating prognosis of pancreatic cancer; the identification of reliable predictive factors is crucial. The aim of the present study was to prospectively assess the prognostic value of DNA index determined by image cytometry as an predictive factor in pancreatic head cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  The DNA ploidy and the DNA index of 61 patients were evaluated by DNA image cytometry and were found to be correlated, as well as standard histopathologic parameters, with patient survival.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Through the DNA image cytometry, 15 tumors (24.6%) were identified as diploid and 46 (75.6%) as nondiploid. The median DNA index in the entire cohort was 1.9 (range, 1.0-2.5). Tumor stage, lymph node status, lymph node index, lymphatic invasion, and DNA index were identified as prognostic factors in the univariate analysis, but only DNA index (hazard ratio, 3.137; 95% confidence interval, 1.149-8.566; P = 0.026) and lymph node status (hazard ratio, 0.377; 95% confidence interval, 0.186-0.765; P = 0.007) were identified as independent predictive factors in the multivariate analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The DNA index represents an independent predictive marker in patients with pancreatic head cancer and a potential tool in designing specific treatment strategies for patients with pancreatic cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, Charité University Hospital, Berlin, Germany. carsten.kamphues@charite.de
authors.forename: Carsten
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kamphues
authors.forename: Hussein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Al-Abadi
authors.forename: Angelika
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dürr
authors.forename: Nadine
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Al-Abadi
authors.forename: Dorothee
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schricke
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bova
authors.forename: Violetta
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Albrecht
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stenzinger
authors.forename: Frederick
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Klauschen
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Seehofer
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Neuhaus
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bahra
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics*; D004171:Diploidy; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D016193:G1 Phase / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010179:Pancreas / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics*; D011003:Ploidies; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016192:Resting Phase, Cell Cycle / Q000235:genetics; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D004273:DNA, Neoplasm