DNA CONTENT IN ADENOID CYSTIC CARCINOMAS

Background. A retrospective study was performed on 51 patients with ad enoid cystic carcinomas to see whether DNA ploidy, tumor stage, and hi stopathologic grading correlated with prognosis. Methods. Histopatholo gic grading was performed according to Szanto et al and DNA content wa s estimated from archived material using the technique by Hedley et al . Results. Thirty-nine tumors were DNA diploid and 12 were DNA aneuplo id. Histologic grade III was more often associated with DNA aneuploidy than the lower grades (p = 0.011). DNA ploidy also correlated with cl inical stage (p = 0.011). Log-rank analysis and Cox regression analysi s of treatment failures revealed significant findings for S-phase valu e and DNA ploidy. Conclusions. Our results indicate that DNA ploidy es timations, S-phase value, and histologic grading are prognostic factor s in adenoid cystic carcinomas. These examinations should therefore be incorporated in the evaluation of patients with adenoid cystic carcin omas. (C) 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.