FLOW-CYTOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC-ACID CONTENT IN ADVANCEDOVARIAN-CARCINOMA - ITS IMPORTANCE IN LONG-TERM SURVIVAL

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to evaluate the importance of deoxyribonucl eic acid content to long-ten survival from advanced epithelial ovarian carcinoma. STUDY DESIGN: Clinical and pathologic prognostic factors, including deoxyribonucleic acid content measured by means of flow cyto metry, were analyzed for 282 patients. RESULTS: In 80% of the patients , the deoxyribonucleic acid patterns were nondiploid. In univariate an alysis stage (p < 0.0001), residual disease (p < 0.0001), deoxyribonuc leic acid index (p = 0.01), and deoxyribonucleic acid ploidy (p = 0.02 ) significantly predicted progression-free survival. In multivariate a nalysis stage (p < 0.001), residual tumor (p = 0.001), deoxyribonuclei c acid ploidy (p = 0.02), and deoxyribonucleic acid index (p = 0.02) r etained independent prognostic value. Residual disease and deoxyribonu cleic acid content retained independent prognostic value for stage III tumors but not for stage IV tumors. CONCLUSION: Deoxyribonucleic acid analysis with flow cytometry provides prognostic information about lo ng-term progression-free survival from advanced ovarian carcinoma and should be considered in the stratification processes of patients in fu ture clinical trials. This prognostic information appears to be invers ely related to tumor burden.