AGNORS AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO CELL-SIZE, HISTOLOGICAL GRADE, LYMPH-NODE INVOLVEMENT, METASTASES, AND SURVIVAL PATTERN IN CARCINOMA OF THE BREAST - A STUDY FROM SOUTH-INDIA

An AgNOR count using the Smith and Crocker [Histopathology 12:113-125, 1988] method of staining was performed on 200 cases of carcinoma of t he breast. A count of coarse AgNORs per nucleus was made on 50 random cells and the mean of their number per nucleus calculated. The relatio nship of a single variable ''AgNOR count'' to other variables such as cell size, histological grade, number of positive ipsilateral axillary lymph nodes, and presence of metastasis in regions other than the ips ilateral axillary lymph nodes was found using a univariate method of a nalysis. Also, the effect of different independent variables, e.g., nu mber of AgNORs, cell size, histological grade, number of positive axil lary lymph nodes, and metastasis on a single variable, i.e., 4-year pe riod of survival, was also assessed by a univariate method of statisti cal analysis. It was found that the AgNOR count was significantly rela ted to the cell size, histological grade, and presence of metastasis. Large cells, grade III tumors, and neoplasms with evidence of metastas is showed larger numbers of AgNORs in their nuclei. It was observed th at the number of AgNORs significantly affected the 4-year survival of patients. The higher the AgNOR counts, the poorer were the chances of surviving for 4 years. The other factors that influenced survival in t he present study were the number of positive axillary lymph nodes and metastasis to sites other than axillary lymph nodes. (C) 1996 Wiley-Li ss, Inc.