EFFECTS OF DNA-PLOIDY PATTERNS ON THE SURVIVAL OF PATIENTS WITH PRIMARY GASTROINTESTINAL LYMPHOMA

To assess the prognostic value of DNA ploidy patterns, the DNA ploidy patterns of 37 primary gastrointestinal lymphomas were determined by D NA flow cytometry, using paraffin-embedded archival specimens. The DNA ploidy patterns were diploid in 21 tumors and nondiploid in 16 tumors . Advanced clinical stage, as determined by the Ann Arbor Staging Clas sification, and nondiploid DNA ploidy patterns were associated with si gnificantly reduced survival of the patients, whereas tumor size, tumo r grade, and the S-phase fraction of tumor cells were not correlated w ith survival. A multivariate analysis disclosed that the variables whi ch had significant prognostic value for primary gastrointestinal lymph oma were the clinical stage of the disease and the DNA ploidy patterns of the tumor cells.