title: DNA ploidy: a prognostic factor of response to chemotherapy and survival in metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma confers a dismal prognosis. Several prognostic factors are needed to distinguish patients that will benefit from chemotherapy. In this setting, the prognostic impact of DNA ploidy is still unclear.
  
  
  METHODS
  The records of 61 patients with metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma were retrospectively reviewed. Response to chemotherapy and overall survival (OS) were assessed and correlated to tumour DNA ploidy index, which was calculated by cytometric image analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median value of DNA ploidy index was 2.3. Patients with a low index responded better to chemotherapy than those with a higher index (p<0.01). Nevertheless, when the median value was used as a cut-off, no significant correlation of DNA ploidy index with response to chemotherapy (p=0.41) or OS (p=0.09) was observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prognostic role of DNA ploidy in metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma is still debatable. In this study, a low DNA ploidy index was associated with favorable prognosis; however, a suitable cut-off value is not yet available.
authors.affiliation: Pathophysiology Department, Athens University Medical School, 75 Mikras Asias str. 11527, Athens, [corrected] Greece. syriosi@yahoo.gr
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Syrios
authors.forename: Georgios
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kechagias
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Agrogiannis
authors.forename: Ioannis D
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Xynos
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kavantzas
authors.forename: Andreas C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Lazaris
authors.forename: Suzanna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Amptoulach
authors.forename: Aikaterini
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mourati
authors.forename: Stavros
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sougioultzis
authors.forename: Efstratios S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Patsouris
authors.forename: Nikolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tsavaris
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D011003:Ploidies; D011379:Prognosis; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D004273:DNA, Neoplasm