DNA FLOW-CYTOMETRY IN STAGE-IB AND STAGE-II CERVICAL-CARCINOMA

In a retrospective study the prognostic significance of nuclear DNA co ntent was investigated, as measured by flow cytometry, of the tumor sp ecimens from 212 women with nonpretreated FIGO stage IB and II cervica l cancer. One-hundred and thirty cases (62%) were found to be diploid, whereas 82 (38%) were aneuploid. Univariate analysis of the follow-up data showed an increased relative risk (RR) for recurrence free survi val (RFS) for stage II tumors (RR = 1.87, 95%CI: 1.13-3.10, P = 0.015) and for age (RR = 1.52, 95%CI: 0.66-3.52 and RR = 2.35, 95%CI: 1.19-4 .65, P = 0.032). Ploidy showed a relative risk of 1.33 (95%CI: 0.83-2. 13, NS). In addition, univariate analysis of overall survival (OS) rev ealed similar results. For the subgroup of patients with primary surge ry (n = 151), positive pelvic nodes (RR = 5.38, 95%CI: 2.70-10.71, P = 0.0001) and parametrial extension (RR = 2.53, 95%CI: 1.24-5.17, P = 0 .011) were significant factors for OS after univariate analysis, the e stimated effects on RFS were slightly smaller. Multivariate analysis o f RFS for the whole study population showed age, histologic grade and stage with a slightly increased risk, but no effect was significant. P loidy with an RR of 0.97 (95%CI: 0.58-1.62) seems to have no influence on prognosis. For the subgroup with primary surgery, ploidy again fai led statistical significance with an RR of 1.20 (95%CI: 0.58-2.49). Ou r results suggest that abnormalities of the nuclear DNA content in thi s homogeneous group of patients are associated with clinical and morph ological prognosticators, however, ploidy is not an independent progno stic factor for RFS, or for the whole study population or for the subg roup with primary surgery.