PROGNOSTIC-SIGNIFICANCE OF DNA ANEUPLOIDY IN DIFFUSE MALIGNANT MESOTHELIOMA

DNA ploidy of pepsin digested preparations of 48 paraffin-embedded spe cimens from 19 patients with histologically confirmed malignant mesoth elioma was determined by laser now cytometry. Eight of the 19 tumors ( 42%) were diploid and 11 (58%) were aneuploid, Of the aneuploid tumors , only one showed multiploidy. The median survival time of the patient s with diploid tumors was 19, 16, and 14 months from the onset of symp toms, diagnosis, and treatment, respectively. The median survival in p atients with aneuploid tumors was 8, 7, and 7 months from the onset of first symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment, Thus, patients with diploid tumors Lived longer than patients with aneuploid tumors, These result s suggest that DNA ploidy analysis may be of prognostic value in malig nant mesothelioma. (C) 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.