TESTICULAR SEMINOMA - CLINICAL-SIGNIFICANCE OF NUCLEAR DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC-ACID PLOIDY PATTERN AS STUDIED BY FLOW-CYTOMETRY

Purpose: We evaluated the clinical significance of deoxyribonucleic ac id (DNA) ploidy pattern as a predictor of prognosis in patients with t esticular seminoma. Materials and Methods: Flow cytometric nuclear DNA analysis was performed on archival specimens from 65 patients with pu re seminoma who underwent radical orchiectomy between 1970 and 1992. R esults: A total of 42 specimens (65%) exhibited a DNA diploid pattern, while 23 (35%) were DNA aneuploid. Diploidy was manifested in 73% of the stage I tumors versus 31% of stage II cancers (p = 0.004). No corr elation was found between ploidy and histological type, size or local extension of the tumor. Tumor progression was observed in 5 patients, exclusively displaying aneuploid histograms (p = 0.0017), and 3 of the m subsequently died of the disease. Conclusions: DNA ploidy pattern ma y provide important prognostic information for patients with testicula r seminoma.